


Hey, Hey Mrs. Bartender

by WordsOfMyReality



Series: Bartender [2]
Category: Orange is the New Black
Genre: Baby Cows, Bartenders, Berry Picking, Bora Bora, Candles, Childhood Memories, F/F, Fluff and Humor, Hamburgers, Honeymoon, Humor, Memories, Moorea, Penguins, Scrapbooks, Soap, Tahiti, baby goats - Freeform, baby goats in pajamas, even more penguins, farm life, flair bar, flipping bottles, lotion, more penguins, popi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-06-28 23:40:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 65,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15717447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordsOfMyReality/pseuds/WordsOfMyReality
Summary: A sequel to Hey, Hey Bartender which chronicles the life of Alex and Piper as Alex's bar, Alley's, thrives across the street from Piper's soap company, Popi. Where does their relationship take them and what is in store for the two successful business women? Follow the antics of the other bartenders and their flippered penguin friends.This picks up a close but an indeterminate time immediately following the rock-music wedding. AU





	1. Honeymoon Bound

**Author's Note:**

> This will be updated pretty quickly as it's already written. I'm moving the fic into AO3, Your comments are invited and definitely encouraged. I respond to all comments!

Piper sat there with her drink in front of her, jiggling her leg. She spun the glass, wet with condensation round and round on the napkin, watching the glass as it chewed a hole in the fibers. She glanced at the TV, watching the random old music interview video playing along with the 70's music screaming from the bar's speakers. She kept looking over her shoulder to the door, feeling the deja-vue of the situation.

Polly was always late to places. It was even worse today because she and Alex had to pack for their honeymoon. Piper let her mind drift back to the first time she had sat on this stool. Polly had tried to set her up with a blind date which ended up being quite disastrous. The hot dark haired bartender had saved her night by entertaining her until Polly, Pete, and the other guy – whose name Piper can't recall – left. Piper smiled as she looked at the wedding band now sitting on her finger. That hot bartender was now her wife.

Piper looked around the bar, realizing how much it had changed. Previously it's dark interior was adorned with a variety of 70's and 80's rock posters. Due to a freak accident, the bar had been completely remodeled and the rock posters replaced with a myriad of photographs and album covers signed by quite famous singers and bands along with obscure ones as well. By the door where an odd mural had once been painted was an incredible, larger than life depiction of a Rolling Stone cover. The painting was a black and white image of Joan with her eyes closed, toking on a huge fatty. She had on a black tank and pants with her black guitar slung low across her hips. Joan Jett herself had autographed the mural. Accompanying the painting was a photo of Joan with the entire bar staff. It was one of the most treasured photos in the transformed joint.

"Here you go blondie." Alex's familiar rough, deep voice sounded behind Piper, startling her from her reminiscing. The bartender tossed down a napkin and sprinkled a bit of salt atop it before placing a fresh drink down. "Oh the house. The salt will keep the napkin from getting destroyed." Her chuckle resonated in Piper's chest. Alex got a kick out of saying that to Piper as another throwback to the night they met. "Polly's late again, huh?" Alex took the stool next to Piper.

Piper groaned. "Of course. I am surprised she actually showed up on time for our wedding. She knows my time today is limited. I think she does this on purpose. You'd think she was across town when she's only across the street damn it." Piper spun on her barstool to look at her new wife who was exactly the same as Piper remembered on that first day. Alex was quite tall and lanky with long black hair flowing down her back and over her shoulders. Her hair was partially pulled back by black glasses she kept pushed on top of her head. She was wearing one of what must be a hundred sleeveless old rock band t-shirt which showed off her striking tattoo on one arm. Piper frown turned to a broad smile.

Alex wiped her hands with a bar towel. "Why are you grinning Pipes? Like what you see?" Alex arched one eyebrow and cocked her head sideways, peering at Piper. "I'm going to take advantage of the ever so late Polly to double check the schedules and make sure everything is taken care of." Alex turned to walk back to her office.

"Hey babe. Will you order me a burger… and some fries?" Piper shouted behind her.

"We don't do table service!" Alex shouted back then chuckled as she placed Piper's order with Luschek.

* * *

By the time Polly finally came through the front door, Piper had already dug into her burger. "Sorry Piper, I lost track of time."

Piper held up her hand, silencing Polly. "Shhh don't disturb the food."

Polly shook her head as she headed over to the bar to order a soft drink from Nicky.

"Oh, so the allusive business partner exists and blesses us with her presence." Nicky could never resist harassing Polly. Then again, pestering her was always so easy. Nicky slid the soda over to Polly with just enough force so that Polly had to grab the glass before it slid off the edge. "Good catch."

Rolling her eyes, Polly went back to sit with Piper. "Ugh! I don't know how you stand that crazy haired woman!"

"Oh she's harmless," Piper mumbled through her mouth stuffed with fries.

"Gross Piper. Just gross." Piper chuckled as Polly pulled a schedule from the folder she had carried in. "These are the orders we recently received and how much time I've calculated it will take to process the orders." When Piper leaned over to look at the numbers, a glob of mustard fell to the paper. "Damn it Piper. Get your priorities in order. I stopped working to come over here to sort things out with you and you can't sit down your fucking food."

Piper wiped the grease from the corners of her mouth. "Wait a damned minute Pol. I was here over an hour waiting on your late ass. Pardon me for getting hungry and feeding myself. I should be at home packing right now. Don't ruin my honeymoon by arguing."

Polly wiped off the paper as best she could and continued to explain how many workers she was bringing in to help with the order. They would be a mix of bartenders who had temporarily filled in while Alley's had been under reconstruction and newbies. "I thought this would be a perfect time for them to help train the new people."

"It looks great Pol. Just don't be calling me because Poussey and Taystee start fooling around with one of their skits or something. I know how you hate it when Amanda and Mackenzie show up!"

"Whatever! So is there anything else you can think of Piper?"

"Nope, I'm sure you have it all under control." Piper was not about to alter Polly's plan or add to it. If she even entertained the idea, she and Alex would never get out of there in time. "Thanks for taking care of things Polly."

"No problem. Drink some fruity drinks for me!"

* * *

Alex and Piper finally were packed, loaded and ready to make the drive to LAX. They had decided this would be easier than catching a commuter flight and worrying about delays. The flight from LAX went directly to Tahiti and from there they would fly to Moorea and then to Bora Bora. The quiet French Polynesian islands seemed like a perfect escape to the hustle and bustle of their normal lives.

After dropping their car off in long-term parking, the women lugged their bags to the shuttle and made their way to the Tom Bradley International Terminal Air Tahiti Nui. Despite the late hour of the flight, the check-in line was long and seemingly moving at a snail's pace.

Finally, Piper plopped down next to the bags, sighing in disgust. "Alex, this line literally has not moved an iota. We've been here for half an hour." She pulled off one of her flip flops and started fanning herself. Reaching up, Piper yanked on the cuff of Alex's cut-offs. "Sit down with me babe."

Alex stood on her toes, as if this would help her have a better look at the ticket counter. "Well there are agents there who seem to be frantically working. I don't know what's up babe. But don't fret. This is our honeymoon. And I am taking the most beautiful woman to the most beautiful place on Earth." Alex leaned down, cupping Piper's face in her hands and gently kissed her on the lips then settled down on the floor next to her new wife.

Piper coyly slipped her hands beneath the sleeves of Alex's Motley Crue t-shirt. "Aren't you cold Al?" She ran her palms up and down Alex's arms.

Alex smile down at Piper. "With a hot woman such as yourself sitting next to me, how could I get cold?" Piper giggled and turned to lean against Alex.

* * *

After an hour had passed, everyone in the line was beginning to get restless. Some people had approached the ticket counter, only to be turned away without answer. Finally, one of the agents made an announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen. We apologize for the delay. It appears as though there is a labor dispute with the flight crew, and they are refusing to fly the plane. Another airline has graciously provided a plane and crew. While we await the arrival of their crew and they do their safety checks, it will be necessary for us to hand-write your boarding passes. This plane is of different configuration and we obviously do not have access to the other airline's ticketing system. While security is not yet open, we will start writing tickets. As you approach the ticket counter, please have your ticket confirmation information available and we will do our very best to accommodate you with comparable seats. Thank you for your patience."

A collective grumble arose from the large group of people in line. "Are they fucking serious?" The man behind Alex and Piper was livid.

Alex turned to face him, raising her eyebrow. "Hey, at least they are making efforts to accommodate us on another airline. I'm sure we will get there, just a few hours late. It's, what, eight or nine hours of flying, and they are bound to be able to make up some time in air."

The man laughed. "You don't understand this airline, ma'am. My wife and I have flown to the French Polynesia multiple times over the past few years." He turned to his wife and smiled. "It's her favorite place to visit, and I can't resist. But their flight crews have a reputation. What is a more likely scenario than a labor dispute is that the pilots got stinking drunk and got into a fist fight. It's happened before."

Alex began laughing. "Are you fucking serious?" The man nodded. "That's crazy."

"Yes, isn't it convenient they have a back-up, airline, AND crew ready to fly off into the sunset?" The man had calmed down and was now enjoying his audience with Alex.

Piper pulled herself to her feet and tapped Alex on the shoulder. "I'm going to go find some drinks babe. Do you want something?"

Alex nodded and turned to her new friend. "What about you and your wife?"

Piper agreed to get coffee for the four of them as well as some snacks if she could manage to carry it all back.

Slowly the line inched forward and everyone was settling as they felt progress was being made for the start of their vacation. True to the word of the agent who made the announcement, about 45 minutes in, a sharply dressed crew of men and women in colorful uniforms passed the check-in counter and through security.

Piper began clapping her hands as she scooted her bags forward in the shuffle of the line. "Look baby, that's our crew. We ARE going to get to go after all."

* * *

The flight was pleasant and the attendants did not at all seem to mind being pulled in for a trip overseas. The food was actually pleasant although Piper and Alex received quite different meals. Piper's was brought hers well before the attendant got to their row with the tray cart. Alex looked at her strangely. As Alex opened hers and realized hers was drastically different, she questioned Piper. "Fuck Pipes. Mine looks good, but yours looks even better. Why are you getting special treatment?" Piper blushed and looked away, down at her meal and began to eat. "Piper?"

Piper's sheepish expression was not a surprise as she said, "I kind of lied when I booked the flight that I was vegetarian. Some airline food really sucks. And on international flights, I've learned that the vegetarian fare is reliably more palatable. Plus, I get to eat first."

Alex chuckled. "Well I actually love this meal. Leave it to an airline serving tropical locations to serve excellent fish. And YOU can't have any."

Piper pouted. "Vegetarians eat fish."

"No Piper. Pescatarians eat fish, so you are stuck with your veggies!" Alex chuckled as she popped the last of her tasty fish into her mouth.

* * *

It was no time at all before the flight landed on the main island of the French Polynesia. They cleared customs, gathered their baggage and went out into the brightly lit, open air Papeete terminal. They found where to recheck their luggage to Moorea and dropped it off. Not sure what to do next, the pair looked around at all of the decorated stalls and realized that each represented a different travel company. Alex quickly located the travel company they had booked the trip with. The two woman greeted them warmly and placed a fragrant fresh lei around their neck.

The hostesses pointed to an island in the distance and explained that was how close Moorea was. Normally they would take a short ferry ride to reach the smaller island, but the waters were too choppy for the small boats to run. So short flights were running every half hour. Piper and Alex were shown where to sit and wait on the transfer which would take them to the beginning of their honeymoon.

When their small ride arrived and everyone was boarded, Piper was again bouncing with excitement. "I can't believe we are flying to another island that we can  _see._ " Of course Alex relented the window seat so that Piper could press her face against the plexi-glass. From the air, the scene was beautiful. The water was crystalline blue, and the foliage of the island was green and lush. The plane circled the island several times, perhaps to give the vacationers a birds-eye view of their paradise.

On the island, Piper and Alex met up with their driver to take them to the hotel. He was a chatty fellow, eager to show the women the sights along the way to their hotel. He stopped twice at spots that were particularly beautiful and encouraged them to get out to take pictures. Despite the length of time this added to their drive, the women were glad to have the extra commentary.

The main lobby of the resort was beautiful. The lush reception area had tall open ceilings with beautiful woodwork columns and woven decorations. Alex gave their names at the front desk, and the clerk directed them to a comfy seating area. Soon, another clerk dressed in traditional island garb approached them bearing two tall, fruity drinks and a clipboard. Piper took a sip of her drink and her eyes rolled back in her head. "This is delicious," she giggled.

Alex smiled at her wife and filled out the check-in information with the clerk. He explained that their hut was not yet ready since it was so early in the morning. "You are welcome to change clothes, freshen up and take a tour of our compound. We will find you when your room is ready." He shook both their hands and left them to their own devices.

* * *

Soon, the two were walking along one of beaches, amazed at the clearness of the water and the beauty of everything they laid their eyes on. Suddenly Piper caught a movement in the water and screamed. Alex looked in the water in hopes of finding what startled her bride. Piper skittered sideways as she shrieked again. Alex caught a slight glimpse of something but it quickly disappeared. Keeping her eyes on the spot she felt she last saw it, she motioned for Piper to hand her the camera.

Slowly Alex crept up, inch by inch. As she was about to put her foot down, the sand moved and a flat fish swam forward and settled back into the sand. "Fuck!" She snuck forward a tiny bit forward. Now that she knew what she was looking for, she was able to focus the camera on the spot and snap a few pictures. She pointed out the flounder.

"That scared the bejeesuz out of me Al. I thought I was a goner." Piper clung to Alex's arm as she reached her foot out to try to get him to move again. He quickly took off to the deeper part of the water to not be seen again. "I shall call him Fred Flat Fish."

"He's a flounder Pipes." Alex was definitely amused.

They continued their stroll, arm in arm, Piper with her head laying on Alex's shoulder. "I already feel so at peace Alex. This is going to be amazing."

After about an hour of wandering around the compound, a little golf cart pulled up. The tall, lank man said, "Mrs. Vause?"

Both women responded, "Yes?" Then laughed when they realized what they had done.

"Your room is ready. Would you like to come with me?"

The incredulous look on Alex's face showed her caution. The man had on a hotel uniform and was driving a hotel cart. "Ummm and you knew where to find us, how?"

The man chuckled. "It is my job to know. I have your picture and there aren't many places to hid on the compound. This is the route most people take when exploring. But I'd like to think I'm magical. Hop on." The women crawled onto the back seat of the cart and off they went.

The porter pulled up to a hut. "Your bags are inside. Shall we?" He offered Piper a hand to step out of the cart. He unlocked the door with a large brass key and handed it to Alex. He gave them a tour of the hut which was divided into two main areas, the sleeping area and lounging area. Pulling back the curtain in the lounging area exposed a glass sliding door. He showed them how to unlock it and how to re-secure it. After ensuring they were comfortable with everything, he graciously left.

* * *

As Piper and Alex looked out the sliding door onto the deck. They could step out of their hut right onto a secluded beach and into another shallow cove. Two beach chairs were positioned close to the deck along with an umbrella. The women had so many options on how to enjoy their solitude.

Alex wrapped her arms around Piper's waist. Pressing her lips against Piper's neck, she murmured into her hair. "Hi Mrs. Vause."

Piper turned in Alex's arms and pressed her lips against Alex's. "Hi yourself Mrs. Vause."

Piper reached up and grasped Alex's face in her hands and softly kissed her again. Alex involuntarily trembled as she gazed lovingly at her wife. Piper ran her hands across Alex's soft skin. She knew slipped her hands beneath Alex's shirt and Alex shuddered again at the touch.

"I have thought about you all today, Al. I'm aching for you," Piper whispered as she slid her hands down the crooks of Alex's arms.

Alex leaned forward to breathe into Piper's ear. "Are you now?" Now it was Piper who shivered from Alex's heated breath. She knew the answer. Alex leaned forward, running her tongue down Piper's neck to her throat, nibbling on her skin.

Piper lifted Alex's shirt over her head, exposing the bikini top that she had put on upon their arrival to the resort. Piper cupped Alex's ample breasts briefly then reached behind her to untie the strings, letting the small piece of cloth drop to the floor. Alex sucked her breath in then gently bared her teeth down on Piper's neck.

Piper pulled Alex's face to hers for a slow, deep, soul reaching kiss. "I love kissing you Mrs. Vause."

Alex smiled into the kiss. "I love for you to kiss me. I adore our long, soul-inflicting kisses, kisses that last for eternity."

Piper shuffled stepped them both towards the sleeping area until the back of Alex's knees hit the back of the bed. They giggled as they both fell back onto the bed. Alex wriggled backwards, pulling them both upwards on the bed.

"Then Mrs. Vause, I shall kiss you for eternity."


	2. Tidbits of Moorea

Sunlight was streaming into the room as Alex's awareness came to the forefront. Her limbs were tangled with Piper's, and the sheets were entwined about their legs. Alex smiled at the sight of her new bride, blonde hair splayed out over the pillow. Alex brushed the light colored hair to one side and leaned down to kiss Piper's neck as Piper was sprawled on her stomach. Trying to not disturb Piper, Alex slowly unwrapped the sheet from Piper's legs. She pulled the sheet over a still sleeping Piper and quietly padded out of the bedroom. She pulled the sliding wooden doors closed to muffle the sounds of her making coffee.

Piper awoke disoriented, alone in bed. Squinting as she opened the doors separating the two rooms, additional light flowed in. As her eyes adjusted, she could see two chaise lounges on the private beach. Alex was sitting in one of the chairs with her hair pulled tightly into a bun on top of her head, sipping on a cup of coffee. Piper quickly slipped into a suit, drew her hair back and went out to join Alex.

"Hey bartender, got any coffee for an old friend?" Piper kneeled down and gave Alex a soft kiss on the cheek. Alex chuckled and motioned to the cup sitting on the table beside her. "You know, the strangest thing happened this morning." Piper settled into the empty lounge chair and sipped her first swallow of the dark tropical brew. "I'm here on my honeymoon, and it seems as though I woke up alone. Hmmmm." Piper tapped her chin, as if she was pondering the situation.

Alex chuckled in her deep, resonant voice. "You were sleeping so well babe." Alex drained her coffee. "Besides this is my first cup. I was about to come wake you up." Alex wiggled her eyebrows as she looked at Piper. "Are you hungry?"

"Famished! How about we just throw on wraps over our bikinis and head over before breakfast is over.

* * *

Soon, Alex and Piper had filled their plates from the overflowing buffet at the Fare Nui restaurant and selected a table with a stunning view of the lagoon. "Al fresco dining in the heart of the French Polynesia." Piper was beaming. "This is going down as the best honeymoon ever." Piper sipped on a mimosa the waiter had brought over earlier. "What's on the agenda for today?" Piper was nearly wiggling in her chair with excitement.

"Well from my research, Bora Bora is going to be more laid back. So I thought we could do more activities here and chill later."

Alex and Piper spent some time at the Moorea Dolphin Center as well as the Sea Turtle Care Center. While Piper was disappointed that she could not interact with the sea turtles because many were recovering from illness and injury while others were slated to be released back into the ocean. However, she was able in play and swim with the dolphins in their enclosure and their special lagoon while Alex laughed at her antics and videoed her from shore.

* * *

Alex had begun to prepare for their honeymoon while at home by enrolling in an online Open Water Diver program where she could complete the book work for her PADI certification via the internet and then do most of her dives with an instructor in Moorea. She had already finished her confined water dives, so these open water dives would allow her to not only see the beautiful underwater nature of the tropics but to also get her PADI certification.

When the couple went out on the dive boat, they were joined with another man who was working on his PADI certification. His wife and their two children tagged along to go snorkeling. The little boy was enthralled by Alex's tattoos. His mother pulled him back when he began to rub the rose on her upper arm a little too fiercely.

"What do you think you are doing?"

The young lad got a sheepish look on his face. "Mine always come off if I rub them hard enough, even the ones I've just put on."

Alex chuckled. "These aren't coming off kid. They are permanent. And they HURT, so don't get any bright ideas about getting one for yourself." She winked at the boy's mother.

The dive master instructor chose an area that had plenty of shallow coral areas for Piper and the family to snorkel as well as a drop off ledge so that the divers could go deeper. It was the best of both worlds as everyone had an amazing time. The boat captain stayed with the snorkelers, ensuring they stayed safely away from the sharp barbed tails of the sting ray that gathered around the boat for snacks of bread the captain provided to draw them close for photo opportunities.

When the children were safely resting on the boat, the captain reached over the edge of the boat to grab a fresh loaf of hard bread. She motioned to both Piper and the other woman to not follow her closely but to have their underwater cameras ready. She went down to a cave and slowly coaxed out a long, triangular green eel that seemed to have a mouth full of very sharp teeth. The captain then came and got Piper's camera to get closer pictures of the moray that lived within the coral reef.

Back on the boat, Piper exchanged contact information with the other woman as they promised to share pictures with each other. After the kids saw the eel, they refused to get back in the water thinking the eel would come and bite off their toes thinking they were chunks of bread. The boat captain whispered to the mom, "They were getting tired. This normally does the trick to keep them from begging to snorkel more." The adults all laughed.

* * *

The rest of Alex and Piper's days and nights on this island were filled with the best of foods, gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, and rest and relaxation. On their last night in Moorea, Alex pulled the doors to their hut open and crawled behind Piper on the couch, wrapping her long legs around her, arms pulling Piper in tightly. "This," she whispered into Piper's ear, "has been amazing."

"I would have never imagined how relaxing being completely unplugged from the world would be Al. Can you believe we get another full week on yet another, even more beautiful island?"

Alex buried her face into Piper's hair and breathed in the fresh, clean scent. "This is truly amazing. I vote we skip the one check-in call we promised the girls at the bar and Polly. Nothing should ruin this tranquility."

Piper nodded her head in agreement. "No phone calls," she murmured as Alex began to kiss the back of her neck. "Mmmmm." Piper arched her neck backwards in an effort to capture Alex's lips with her own.

Piper trembled as the softness of Alex's lips pressed against hers. She twisted her body around so as to face Alex and wrapped her legs around Alex's waist. Piper leaned forward and ran her tongue across the side of Alex's neck to her throat, gently biting into her skin. Alex drew in a deep breath, releasing it as Piper ran her hands down her arms.

Alex dug her fingers into Piper's back pulling Piper more closely into her as Piper began to suck on various places on her neck. Piper maintained suction as she drew her mouth up Alex's neck, finding her mouth and ravishing Alex's mouth with her tongue with a kiss that could only be described as deep and long lasting.

"I love to kiss you Mrs. Vause," Piper murmured into Alex's mouth.

Alex moaned and whispered back. "I love for you to kiss me Mrs. Vause. I love it even more that I know I now have your kisses for eternity."

Piper raked her tongue against Alex's sucking her lip into her mouth. Piper pressed her breasts against Alex's chest, knowing this would drive the brunette wild yet she wouldn't touch in order to preserve the kiss. Piper slid her hands to hold Alex's face then moved to the back of her head, wrapping her thick black hair in her fingers.

Piper again sucked Alex's tongue into her mouth with the realization that the kissing has made her extremely wet. "I want you," Alex gasped, "bad."

Piper's confidence bolstered as she knew she had the upper hand on the all mighty Alex Vause. "I know," Piper answered, shoving her tongue so deep into Alex's mouth, making her squirm. "But all you can do is kiss me, all night long."

Alex's voice grew impatient. "I want to fuck you. ... all night long!"

Piper grabbed her lip in her teeth and stared into Alex's eyes. "No."

Alex began to strain against Piper's hold. "Why not?"

"Because."

"WHY?" Alex struggled for more power, to get Piper to relent.

"I want to make love. Sweet... long... passionate love. All night long." Piper felt Alex's body instantly yield and she knew she had won this battle.

Piper dropped her hands to grasp Alex's wrists and spun her around to face away from her. Piper dropped her hands to Alex's thighs as she kissed her neck, feeling the soft skin on Alex's long, milky white thighs. Piper quickly dipped her head and pulled Alex's bikini string with her teeth, untying it and allowing Alex's breasts to fall into Piper's waiting hands.

The silence was broken by Alex's moans as Piper rolled her thick, hardened nipple between her left fingertips. Pipe ran her right hand down Alex's side, untying the string holding Alex's bottom string bikini on, giving Piper full access to the wetness between Alex's legs.

Gathering moisture on her finger tips, Piper trailed wetness up Alex's body to her mouth where Alex hungrily sucked at her own juices. Piper struggled to get her feet on the ground and pulled Alex to her feet. They made their way to the bedroom and fell to the sheets rumpled from their earlier nap. Piper again found Alex's mouth and kissed her long and hard, knowing that Alex was more than ready to be touched.

"Please." Alex's whimpers were soft at first then grew louder as Piper alternated pinching and squeezing her nipples and drawing her finger through Alex's wetness. "Damn it Pipes. I want you babe. No, I  **need**  you."

Piper smiled as she knew that it was seldom that she got the upper hand on Alex.

Piper was enjoying the light touches swirling around Alex's moist, pale skin. She knew that not only was Alex begging her but that Alex's body was as well as the wetness pooling between Alex's legs increased with every pass. Piper sucked Alex's lower lip into her mouth as she unexpectedly slipped one finger into Alex. Deep. Then swiftly removed it to manipulate Alex's swollen clit. As Piper released Alex's lip from her teeth, she began to suck Alex's tongue as it was thrust deep with her mouth. Alex's body began trembling as Piper's fingers had settled into a rhythm on Alex's clit.

"Please Pipes. I  **need**  to come." Alex was pleading at this point and lifting her hips upwards to entice Piper to go back inside her.

Piper grinned, knowing what the light touch was doing to her wife. "No Al, you  **want**  to come. But not yet."

"Harder!"

"No." Piper still resisted Alex's begging and was soon rewarded with soft, gentle wave of trembles coming from Alex's abdomen. Alex tried to pull Piper in closer so that the circular motions would not be so light on her clit, but Piper resisted as she kept her steady soft touch constant. What she didn't let Alex know was that she, herself was about to explode. She positioned herself on Alex's leg so she could rock her crotch back and forth in hopes of that pressure relieving some of her own tension.

By this point, Alex was whimpering in a fashion that Piper had yet to hear in their relationship. This excited Piper even more. She leaned to whisper into Alex's ear. "Relax baby. Relax and let your body take control." Piper's fingers tremble rapidly against Alex's clit as she reached down to find her own clit with her other hand.

Alex's next words were soft yet strained. "If I relax now, I will come all over you."

With those words, Piper could no longer deny Alex what she wanted and pressed hard as she felt stronger waves take over Alex's body. Alex let loose a mangled moan from deep in her throat as she was taken over the edge. Piper followed shortly thereafter and collapsed on her wife.

"Fuck Pipes." Alex was breathing heavily. "Don't tell me you just did what I think you did." Alex reached down and found Piper's sticky fingers still laying alongside her own clit. She brought Piper's fingers to her mouth and sucked off Piper's juices. "Naughty naughty girl."

"Mmmm." Piper was too spent to talk, eyes screwed shut and her sides were heaving with labored breath after working diligently to push them both over the edge together. "Shhhh."

Alex chuckled as she typically recovered more quickly than Piper. "Why should I hush Pipes?"

"I'm on my honeymoon."


	3. Bora Bora and Soap

"Poussey! Get your ass out here." Taystee was bellowing to the back of the bar to try to encourage her partner in crime to move more quickly.

Nicky was wiping down the bar and making sure everything was cleaned up after the lunch rush as Alley's moved into the slow period of the day. "You guys going over to Piper's?"

"Yeah, but today, it's Polly's." Taystee scrunched up her face. "I guess we are training some new staff today. It's going to be a blast finding ways to irritate the hell out of Polly. That girl is so easy to get aggravated." Taystee gleefully rubbed her hands together. "POUSSEY. Let's go!"

Poussey trotted up to the front of the bar. "Chill sister. I'm right here. It's not like we are going across the city. Popi's is right across the street." Poussey turned to Nicky. "I wish you could be there with us. We have some fun stuff planned for Polly." Poussey was chuckling pretty hard as she high-fived Nicky.

As Poussey and Taystee ventured across the street, they finalized their devilish plans to train the new girls in the artisanal soap industry otherwise known as Popi's. Both were aware of Piper's meticulous planning to ensure the recipe books and procedure manuals were perfect in preparation to train new employees. She had finalized the instruction books when a freak accident left the bar employees without work. A large soap order had come into Popi's during the same time, so the bar employees were actually a godsend to getting the order completed on time. There is no way they would sabotage Piper, but messing with Polly was an opportunity neither could pass up.

The plan was for the three new girls to begin learning soap making from start to finish – mixing the ingredients all the way to packaging the finalized product, a process that would take the next two days. Polly thought it would be best for them to start with the simplest of scents, vanilla, before moving into more complex ingredients. Once the initial introductions had been made, Taystee took the women through setting up the crock pots and molds on the long tables. Afterwards Poussey went through the recipe book and showed the newcomers how to pull the correct ingredients from the front room and line them up on the kitchen counter.

Once the batches of vanilla soap had been processed and were bubbling happily away in the crock pots, Poussey and Taystee decided to have a little fun with the new hires before the processed soaps needed to be more closely watched. Poussey moved back the furniture in the front room and positioned the new women in a row and pulled blindfolds over their eyes. Meanwhile Taystee had pulled some essence oils that Piper used in experimenting with creating new flavors of soap. Piper always got a kick of calling the soaps flavors as it irritated Polly to no end.

"This is going to be the  _bomb_ , yo."

* * *

It was time for Alex and Piper to head to another island. This time it was the picturesque Bora Bora where they would stay in an overwater hut. Upon check-out, Alex was assured that somehow, their luggage would somehow make it from their room to the airport and onto the plane to Bora Bora. She could only trust in the magic they had found in the beauty of the island.

After one last amazing breakfast, Alex and Piper were making their way across the crystalline blue ocean where the next island awaited. While close in proximity to Moorea, Bora Bora had a different feel. It was even more laid back with fewer activities. This would be the true vacation part of their honeymoon where they wouldn't do much but lounge about in their bikinis… if anything at all.

After checking in, the porter took them down a long boardwalk to the end of a row of over the water huts. As he carried in the bags, he explained all about the property as well as their lodgings. In the living area, he pointed out the glass topped coffee table. He gently slid the top back, leaving an opening beneath. Withdrawing some bread from his pocket, he tossed some down to the waiting fish. "Each hut has its own coral reef beneath the table. Feed the fish all you want. The more you feed; the more that will come." He slid the table shut and left the remainder of the loaf. The couple was oriented to the outside deck, outdoor shower, and the steps which led directly into the lagoon.

Soon he left and Alex and Piper quickly changed into their suits. "This is the life Al. I never dreamed this place would be  _exactly_ like the travel brochure pictures." Piper was giggling as she hopped up and down excitedly. She reached over and untied Alex's bikini top, exposing her amble breasts.

"Piper! I just tied that." Alex pulled her top back around the back of her neck and tied it again. Piper swiftly untied it once more. "Damn you Pipes." After this process was repeated a third time, Alex exclaimed, "I give up!" She picked Piper up, carried her to the bedroom and threw her on the bed. Reaching behind Piper's neck and back, she made quick work of Piper's bikini and ravished her wife's mouth with her own. Alex grasped one of Piper's now bare breasts in her palm.

Caught up in Alex's kiss, Piper's voice was breathless. "Al. What are you doing? I thought we were swimming."

"Me, too, but for some reason my bikini won't stay tied. Besides, it's  _my_  honeymoon, too.

* * *

Polly climbed the stairs to Popi's which was on the second floor. As she neared the door, she could hear hoots of laughter escaping through the wood. She paused out the door and listened.

Sophia pondered, "it's chilly... cool. Spearmint! Girl that was too easy."

"Ding, ding, ding. Point goes to Sophia." Poussey and Taystee both clapped their hands. "Sophia now has two points, Daya has one point. Lorna – zero! Two scents left."

As the next scent was wafted under the participants' noses, Daya scrunched up her nose. "Damn that's spicy, pungent. Smells like the kitchen I used to work in. Ginger!"

Poussey rang her mock bell again. "Ding, ding, ding. Point to Daya and we are now tied. Lorna, I'm sorry to say, you have been eliminated from the competition. You may now take off your blindfold."

Polly slowly cracked the door open so she could watch the antics. Lorna pulled off her blindfold as the last essence was presented to Daya and Sophia. "Earthy…" Daya's face was again scrunched up.

"Piney…" Sophia, who stood several inches taller than Daya.

"Rosemary!" Both women shouted simultaneously.

Taystee fell dramatically to the floor. "Oh my gawd," she dramatically exclaimed as both women pulled off their blindfolds. "The first tie, EVER, in the Popi's scent contest."

From the door, Polly cleared her throat. "This is the first ever scent contest at Popi's. What ARE you women doing?"

Taystee sheepishly climbed to her feet knowing they had been busted. She rolled her eyes and burst out with a deep southern accent. "Mackensie, what do you think of these new emplOYees? I think they are spectacularly superb." Throwing her hip to her side, Taystee patted her hair like it was a poofy hairdo.

"Why Amanda, I think they are absolutely FAB. . With their palettes, new creations are going to be magnificent. I think we have a head start with these on creating new flavors." Poussey batted her eyelashes at Polly and dropped her fake accent. "Naw, in all seriousness Polly, these new hires are dope! Okay chickies, back to the kitchen and don those lovely goggles and gloves. It is time to stir."

Polly followed them into the kitchen where the vanilla fumes of the cooking ingredients was spot on. "You girls always exasperate me. But I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised." There were seven crocks of what would be their signature vanilla soap with each new woman watching and stirring their two and the seventh being monitored by Poussey to be used as a sample.

Despite their best efforts, Polly was not as aggravated as Taysteee and Poussey had hoped. Polly was probably more humored by their antics than she let on. In all honestly, she was actually impressed that they had thought of an essence contest. What a unique way to identify employees with special talents which directly relate to the business. As Polly turned to back into the living room, Taystee made a face at Pousse who burst out laughing.

Taystee found it much easier to train the new girls as Amanda. Donning her accent, she began. "Okay ladies. That little ding you heard. That was the timer here going off. That means that it is time to pour the soap into the molds. My friend Mackensie will show you how it's done."

Poussey once again pulled on her long rubber gloves and pulled the goggles down tightly over her eyes. "Why thank you Amanda. Ladies you have done an excellent job so far. Let's end this shift on a positive note. These here," she motioned to the wooden blocks, "are called molds. In them we are going to pour our liquid soap. Now we are going to this ever so gently so as to not have spillage which wastes product."

"Nuh uh huh, no wastage." Taystee swung her hips as she pranced around. "Now it's your turn ladies. Lift and pour. Lift and pour."

Poussey and Taystee both hovered around the newbies to make sure they were done things right. Once everyone was done with their crocks, Pousse and Taystee started clapping. "Brava, brava! You now are almost successfully finished with Soap 101."

Sophia rolled her eyes. "What do you mean  _almost?_  The soap is in the darned molds isn't it?"

Poussey and Taystee both dropped their valley girl act. "Yeah but now we gotta clean these crocks." Taystee announced. A collective groan spread across the room. "But once that's done, we are headed across the street. I'm buying the first round at Alley's and Poussey is buying food!"

Poussey punched Taystee in the arm then wandered into the front room where Polly was taking inventory. "Hey, do you want to go have a drink with us? We are almost done. They did really well today." Polly eyed her, not quite believing what she had to say. "No seriously Polly. Me and Taystee. We'd never mess things up for you and Piper. We love you guys, both of you. We just like messing with you."

* * *

Once the crocks had all been cleaned and stored, everyone, Polly included, ventured across the street to Alley's which was Alex's bar. Beers and food was ordered all around as the women got to know each other better. The playful banter from across the street continued into the bar and was amped up with the addition of alcohol and Nicky, of course.

After everyone had finished their food, a small group of cooks exited the kitchen bearing a cupcake with a single candle. As they approached the table, they began singing. Taystee, Poussey, and Nicky joined in. "Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to YOU. Happy birthday dear Pooooooollllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. Happy birthday to YOU!" Everyone cheered and clapped as Luschek set the lit cupcake in front of a confused Polly.

Polly glared at Nicky. "It's not my birthday and you know it." She snarled under her breath.

Nicky laughed as she shouted. "Make a wish! Make a wish! Make a wish!" She began clapping in cadence and encouraged the bar patrons to do the same.

Finally, in an effort to save face, Polly just blew out the candle as everyone cheered. Polly glared at Poussey. "YOU set me up P."

Poussey gave Polly a hug. "Oh Polly, you love us and you know it!"

* * *

Once Alex and Piper finally made it outside  _with_  their swimsuits on, sunset was quickly approaching. Easing into the warm tropical waters next to their isolated hut, Alex stood behind Piper with her arms wrapped around her waist. "Al, this is the most beautiful thing I think I have ever seen." Piper was amazed at how rich the colors were of the setting sun.

"I beg to differ Mrs. Vause. It's not the same for me.  _You_  are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen." Alex smiled against Piper's cheek as they enjoyed the sun setting over the crystal blue waters. "But I will admit that this is gorgeous."

As dusk settled in, the women paddled around a bit then pulled themselves out of the water. They quickly showered off outside and grabbed a towel to head inside. The "hut" service Alex had ordered before venturing out to the water was awaiting on the small dining table inside.

Piper speared a slice of mahi mahi onto her plate and liberally added a scoop of mango-pineapple salsa on top. She pressed her bare leg against Alex and grinned slyly.

"What are you smiling at Pipes?" Alex lifted her fork to her mouth.

"Maybe… tonight… it can be  _both_  our honeymoons."


	4. Lounging and Work

The newlyweds spent a few relaxing days of sun, water, and beach doing absolutely nothing. A few times Piper insisted on sun bathing on the resort's beach just to get the sandy experience, but much of their time was spent in the water surrounding their hut.

"You go down to the bottom on your back. I'll swim over you. Get a shot like that." Alex was trying to come up with silly underwater pictures. She pulled her snorkel and goggles down firmly onto her face, waited for Piper to submerge then started swimming over her spouse. Piper wasn't exactly a successful aquatic photographer as she got the giggles, lost her air, and surfaced – hitting Alex's belly.

"Pipes, come on. How hard can it be?"

Piper giggled as she pulled down her goggles and flipped the camera back to the picture she had taken. "Look at the tiny little bubbles coming out of your nose. I can't help laughing. It's funny." Alex snatched the camera from Piper and went back to paddling about taking pictures in the water around their hut. "Spoil sport," Piper called after her as she pulled herself up to the deck to soak in some more sun.

* * *

As Polly had not given her best friend a wedding present, she had a plan to surprise Piper upon her return from the French Polynesia. She had secretly been meeting with the building manager about some extra space which had recently been opened up. The building which had been perfect for their initial operations when they had outgrown Polly's kitchen; however, Popi's was quickly outgrowing their current manufacturing space.

The structure was divided into four spaces. Polly was negotiating with the manager to lease the space across the hallway for more manufacturing space. She also wanted the empty space below their current workshop to start a storefront in preparation to start selling their product direct rather than just wholesaling it as they currently were. For now, the building super allowed Polly to sign leases on the other spaces on behalf of the company. This would put Polly and Piper in three of the four spaces.

Polly had about nine days before her business partner and best friend returned from her honeymoon, so she had to work quickly to make headway on the spaces. She wanted at least one of them completely functional rather than Piper coming home to something she had to organize.

A benefit of furnishing and preparing the spaces now as opposed to when they first moved in is that Popi had lots of sales which translated into working capital. Before Piper and Polly had scrounged flea markets and Craigslist as their sole sources of equipment. Now Polly could afford some better quality industrial equipment. Luschek, the cook from Alley's, actually had some pretty solid carpentry skills so helped a lot in building structures that worked specifically for the second manufacturing space upstairs.

* * *

Alex rinsed the salt water off her lank body after she pulled herself out of the water. Taking her long black hair in her hands, she strained the water downward and dripped cold water on Piper's stomach. Startled, Piper yelped and bolted up. "Fuck Al, that wasn't funny."

Alex smirked and shook more water onto Piper. "I thought it was. See what happens when you don't leave me a towel." Alex gave a sly wink towards her wife. Bending down, she retrieved the rolled up towel Piper been laying her head on. "Ahhhhh there. Now I have a towel." Alex grinned as she finished toweling off and took a seat next to Piper.

"Meanie. So what do you want to do later Alex? We only have a few more days. I feel we should see more of the island but I'm pretty happy right here."

"I was talking to a porter at breakfast. He said there is this pretty awesome open-air restaurant on the island. The resort shuttle can give us a ride, but it's actually only a few miles around the beach road and it's a stunning walk. Now it's a pretty rambuncous place so if you are wanting a quiet meal, this isn't the place."

A sneaky smile spread across Piper's face. "Are you talking about Bloody Mary's?"

Alex narrowed her eyes. "Piper. How did you know the name of the place? What do you have up your sleeve?"

"Ummmm how much do you love me?" Piper snuggled up against Alex who just looked down at her. "Can we suspend the no technology rule for like 15 minutes? I mean if we even bother to go eat there of course?" Piper tried to make herself look as cute as possible as she peered up at Alex and batted her baby blues.

Alex frowned. "Pipes. We both agreed – no technology. What the fuck?"

Piper turned to face Alex and put on a pout. "But you love me baby. I know you do." Piper snuggled into Alex closer. "Please? I just want to power on my phone, let it catch signal. Then it will be on for less than 10 minutes. I promise."

"Fuck Piper, seriously?" Alex was annoyed.

"Al, come on. I need one from here."

Suddenly Alex realized at what her mate was getting at. "Pipes, did you research  _geocaches_ before we came here?"

Piper nodded, still grinning. "Do you seriously think I would fly oceans away from home and not try to get at least  _one_  geocache?"

"Well at least I married a geocacher and not a Pokeman Go player!" They both laughed. "But this is going to call for compromise." Alex thought for a few moments. "I want to go deep sea fishing tomorrow."

Piper could feel herself turning green at the mere thought of being on the open water. Her stomach did not always agree with the constant waves which had kept Alex from her dream fishing trip. "All day?" Alex smiled smugly as she nodded. "Come on. It's only ten minutes of technology. Half day?"

Alex stuck out her hand. "Deal!"

* * *

Cleaning and setting up the additional workspace ended up taking Polly and her crew a lot less time than she had thought. Organizationally she had decided to keep the layouts similar to each other so as to not confuse the staff. Simplicity was the key in maintaining quality control as they expanded. She merely split the scents – earthy type fragrances in one area with the more floral ones in the other.

Her next order of business was to beginning planning for the storefront. This space needed to be completely fresh and feel brand new so that when clients walked in, all they could smell would be the scents of the products scattered around the store. Polly started working with a designer while laborers toiled on site.

Workers cleared out all of the garbage and various miscellaneous items left by the previous tenants. The building's lower quadrant was completely gutted; even the walls and insulation were torn all the way back to the studs. Polly knew that completing all the work on the storefront by Piper's return would be impossible, so her concentration was having things ready to go so that they could move forward quickly when she returned. Electricians, plumbers, and even sheetrock hangers were on hold until the final designs were approved by both owners. Yes, Polly did want to surprise Piper, but this was Piper's business, too.

After a long day of supervising various projects at Popi's as well as soap production with the new staff who were settling in well, Polly decided she would voluntarily go over to Alley's. She could use a drink and she was actually hungry.  _I can't believe a hamburger actually sounds good._  As much as Polly hated to admit, she really enjoyed the bartenders and cooks at Alex's bars. They could be annoying at times, but that was a part of their charm.

She waved Nicky when she came in and made her way back to her regular table.  _It's sad that I even have a regular table._  Nicky brought her a beer without her asking and motioned to the kitchen. Polly kicked off her shoes and nodded. The drink and food order had gone in without either even having to say a word.  _I guess this makes me a regular._

Polly pulled her feet up to her lap and began to rub the soles to try to ease some of the ache. Soon her meal was being placed in front of her and she had never had to lift a finger. Being best friends with the owner's wife certainly had its privileges.

As Polly was polishing off her food, she heard a ruckus from the kitchen area as the kitchen staff and Nicky came from the back singing. Luschek again had a cupcake with a lit candle. "Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to YOU. Happy birthday dear Pooooooollllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. Happy birthday to YOU!"

Everyone cheered and clapped as Polly just laid her head on the table. "Not again!"

Nicky chucked her on the shoulder. "You know this is just how we tell you we love you, right?" Without waiting for an answer, Nicky spun on her heel and ducked back under the bar.

* * *

Alex and Piper took a leisurely stroll along the quiet beach road to the marina to Bloody Mary's. The views were as stunning as the porter had said. Alex wrapped her arm around Piper's waist as they walked. "I'm glad we didn't take the shuttle although we can always take a cab back if you don't want to walk." Piper simply enjoyed the scenery along the way.

They could hear the restaurant/bar before they could see it. Polynesian music rang out drawing people in – passers-by and ones from the quay across the way. There was a short wait, so Alex procured the requisite Bloody Mary for herself and tropical margarita for Piper. On either side of the entrance were bamboo walls printed with names of celebrities who had dined there. Surprisingly enough, Alex found Joan Jett's name and insisted having her picture made pointing to the rocker's name.

Piper arched her eyebrows questioningly as she pulled her phone from her bag. Alex rolled her eyes and nodded. Piper powered up her phone. It took a bit but the cell acquired signal, but Piper quickly found the cache in a tube on the top row of a series of tubes. She signed the log and replaced the medium lock and lock container. "See, that's it Alex. Do we still have to go fishing tomorrow?"

Alex grinned, nodding her head. After a brief enquiry, the women learned that the tube grid was for people to place their shoes. The restaurant floor was nothing but sand and many patrons did not want to get their nicer shoes sandy. So they could place them in a tube and retrieve them after dinner. "I wonder how many people forget their shoes." Piper giggled at the thought.

Soon they were seated and ordered directly from the displays at the kitchen. "Thanks for letting me grab that cache Alex. Do you remember our first real date?"

"How could I forget Pipes? You were so ecstatic silly about going to the zoo." Alex's broad smile showed her pleasure in the memory as well.

"Silly? You were so excited when you found your first cache. I'll never forget the plastic ring that you traded as swag."

Alex's grin turned sheepish. "Do you still have that ring?" It was now Piper's turn to roll her eyes as she nodded a confirmation. Piper kept everything. "Well if I recall correctly, it was right after the geocaches that we went to see the penguins."

Piper clapped her hands. "OMG. OMG. OMG. I'm a horrible mother. I forgot all about Penny and Pal. They are in my carry-on suitcase. I was going to take all kinds of pictures of them on vacation with us."

"There's still time Piper. There's still time." Alex slowly shook her head side to side. "You know, it was after that date we had our first kiss Piper. Who would have thought that a trip to the zoo would end up in marriage?" Alex reached over and grasped Piper's hand, pulling it to meet her lips. She gently kissed each finger.

Piper constantly blushed at Alex's romantic notions. "I love you Alex Vause."

"Even though I stole your penguin."

"Even though you stole my penguin."


	5. Fish and Fishing

The penguin with the pink tuft of hair peered over the edge of the coffee table. Giving a gentle "squeeee", Pal called to Penny who was making sure their moms were sleeping soundly.

Penny giggled as she shimmied up the table leg and landed next to her new spouse. "Mama Piper finally got us out of the bag. Squeeeee this is going to be fun." Very quietly, the two wiggled the top of the coffee table back to open it to the bay below them. Holding flippers, they peered down together. "Look at all the fishies Pal. Nom, nom." Penny rubbed her belly.

Pal looked over at her wife, eyes widening. "Penny, we can't eat the pretty fishies. We only eat ugly fishies."

Penny nipped at her partner. "If you close your eyes, you can imagine they are  _all_  ugly. Let's go!" Without further chit chat, they leapt through the hole in the floor of the hut into the water below. Penny quickly forgot all about the tropical fish and her growling tummy as she zipped in and out of the surf, swimming 'round and 'round the coral chunk beneath the hut.

Pal went way out. "Squeeeeee. Squeeeee. Watch me Penny." She started flapping quickly in order to build up speed. As she neared the hut, she soared into the air – jumping over Pal. "Come on, let's go to the island." The two penguins happily swam side by side towards the beach.

As Penny and Pal waddled out of the water onto the sand, they found an abandoned towel in a beach chair. Rolling around on the towel, they made sure they weren't going to drip when they snuck into the dining room. "Squee." "Squee." "Squee." "Squee." Sometimes it was hard to tell the difference between Penny and Pal's excited squeals.

After a few mis-steps and wrong turns, the penguins finally made their way to the kitchen. Even as a tiny bird, it's hard to see in the dark. Stacking up box upon box and standing on each other's shoulders, they were finally to get into the walk-in refrigerator. And there in front of them were containers and containers of fresh seafood! The girls were in heaven.

Suddenly a bright bulb snapped on filling the fridge with light. The birds froze. Busted.

* * *

"Piper? Are you okay?" Alex had turned on the lamp as she tried to wake up her wife.

As Piper rolled over, she realized she had broken out into a sweat. It was a few moments before she could shake the cobwebs of her dream. "Hmmmm what'sup Alex. Is it time to get up?"

Alex wrapped her arm around Piper. "No babe, you were dreaming. Mumbling something about Penny and Pal eating all the fish. You were even rocking back and forth. I was starting to get concerned."

Piper lay for a bit trying to recover her dream then began to giggle. She slipped out of bed and retrieved the stuffed penguins from the other room where she had tossed them on the coffee table. Crawling back into bed, Piper snuggled the mascots between herself and Alex. "They escaped Al. They were swimming all around under the hut. Then I caught the little rascals in the kitchen eating all of the seafood they could stuff in their tiny mouths. I was horrified. Who knows. Maybe it was a nightmare. I guess all the penguin talk got them into my brain."

Alex raised an eyebrow as Piper carefully balanced a stuffed bird on each of Alex's breasts. "Pipes? What the fuck?" As Alex shifted, Pal began to slip to one side.

"No! Alex, they are finally still. Let them enjoy the pillows."

"Pillows? No you didn't!" Alex's face broke into huge smile as she took a penguin in each hand and chucked them across the room. She pulled herself on top of Piper and dropped all her weight atop her wife.

"Ugh! Alex! I need to go to the bathroom!" Piper squealed.

"Oh you do, do you? Then you won't like for me to do this, eh?" Alex went to tickle Piper as the woman squirmed beneath her. The more Piper begged, the more relentless Alex became. Eventually Alex yielded and let Piper get up.

* * *

As Piper left, Alex realized that she was going to be getting any more sleep. She pulled the sheet off the bed, wrapping it around her like a toga and made her way to the coffee pot. Alex smelled Piper before she felt arms wrap around her mid-section. Piper had washed her face and freshened up with the citrusy products the hotel kept well-stocked.

Piper snuck her hands up Alex's bosom and found the edge of the sheet tucked. Quickly pulling it loose, Piper let the sheet fall to the ground. With a single finger, Piper traced the salt shaker tattoo on Alex's shoulder before she stretched up to kiss the black and white ink.

Piper reached around to hold Alex's ample breasts in her hands. Breathing deep, she took in the salty air flowing in through the patio door that Alex had opened earlier. Standing on her toes, she sucked at the crook of Alex's shoulders causing chill bumps to rise on Alex's arms. The sound and smell of the brewing coffee was enticing.

Alex's concentration was wavering as she concentrated on pouring and doctoring the coffees with Piper's hands and lips brushing across her skin. The two had spent so much time naked and nearly naked that neither felt awkward any longer making their way to the table. Sitting as closely to each other as possible, Piper entwined her fingers within Alex's, soft skin against soft.

There was not even a strand of pink in the sky, no signs of sunrise. The moon was still fairly high casting light across the waves tumbling across the way. Piper tossed her chair cushion between Alex's legs and settled back against her. Alex lightly rubbed Piper's shoulders, the simple touch bringing pleasure. Coffee forgotten, Piper laid her head on Alex's knee and caressed her other leg softly.

"It's so quiet here. Even the waves seem calm. Can we just sit out here forever?" Piper turned her head to kiss the inside of Alex's knee, tongue teasing her skin. Alex moved her hands from Piper's shoulders to her neck, rubbing softly behind her ear. Each woman was seemingly trying to distract the other as Piper ran her hand up Alex's taut calf to the back of her knee, stopped by ridge of the lounge chair.

Not losing contact, Piper slowly gets up to turn around, remaining on her knees. She took Alex's face in her hands and ran her lips up Alex's neck to her face, finding her lips to kiss her slowly. Gentle yet strong kisses which are so easy to get lost in. Piper's hands slid down to Alex's breasts, a hand cupping each as before.

"Hmmmm baby." Alex murmured into Piper's lips. "The sun is going to be rising soon."

Piper slipped one hand to Alex's ass, pulling her forward. "Mmmm I don't care who sees. You are beautiful and you are mine."

Alex sucked Piper's lower lip into her mouth and moved forward to press against Piper. "No babe. Sunrise. We have to be at the pier for the fishing trip."

Piper dug her fingers into Alex's ass, pulling her even closer. "Seriously Al? You are giving this up for fishing?"

Alex stood, pulling Piper with her to kiss her even more deeply. "Babe, we are married now and I'm not giving this up." She playfully patted Piper on the butt. "Ever! But I'm not giving up deep-sea fishing."

* * *

The deep sea fishing excursion was slightly different than in the states. Because the islands were so small and surrounded by a vast body of water already, it did not take hours upon hours to simply get to good fishing waters. It seemed as though Piper barely had time to lather a high SPF sunscreen all over Alex's exposed skin before it was time to cast lines to fish. While Piper rubbed in sunblock to her own skin, she chose to stay under the covered awning with a huge floppy hat to keep from getting sun-burned.

While Alex had been hoping to snag a blue marlin, the captain had found a large school of wahoo which he stopped for. It was still possible Alex could catch either fish as the means was similar – trolling bait behind the boat. While the blue marlin found in these waters were not as large as in the gulf waters off of Texas, it was still a definite trophy fish.

After about four hours of fishing and three wahoo later, Alex gave up on her quest for a marlin and the boat turned to shore. She accepted the bottle of water proffered by Piper and poured the first third over her head and drained the rest.

"Babe, why are you so stubborn?"

"Hey – this stubborn bartender caught three monster fish. Two of those will pay the chefs who are going to cook the third for our dinner." Alex grabbed another bottle of water.

Piper shook her head. "No Al. Sunscreen." She waved the tube in front of Alex. "You wouldn't keep applying like I asked. You are blistered; I can tell."

Alex placed a hand on her arm then poked her chest, looking for the capillary refill that was evident of a sunburn. "Meh, I'll be okay. Today rocked. I couldn't stop Piper. The fish were really biting."

"Okay Al, don't say I didn't tell you so."

* * *

Later that night after a pair of chefs prepared dinner for the newlyweds at a private house on a private dock from the fresh catch of the day, the two made their way back to their place. Alex had brought a bottle of chilled champagne back to the hut. Her arm was flung over Piper's shoulder's as they walked bare-footed. Piper was nestled beneath the crook of Alex's arm. Every once in a while, she'd flinch from the cold bottle hitting her chest. "Al!' Alex just chuckled as she periodically found a way to get Piper to squeal. "You need that cool bottle on yourself Alex. Take down the surface temperature of that lobster skin you've got.

Back in the privacy of their hut, the pair stripped back down to their suits as the weather was quite warm. Piper carried plastic flutes down to the deck along with some fresh cut strawberries while Alex juggled the ice bucket and champagne bottle. "Our last night Pipes. Our honeymoon is almost over."

Piper tossed down her drink and poured another. "I know – back to the grind. I can't believe that in a day or so you'll be back slinging drinks and I'll be stirring soap. This has been nice babe. Who would have thought – you, me, and the French Polynesia."

* * *

Alex had been full of surprises the entire honeymoon, doing all sorts of special things for Piper. On their last day, Piper had something special planned to catch Alex off guard. She rolled out of bed quietly and stood looking down at Alex. Alex's normal alabaster complexion was completely blown. She was a deep red everywhere her skin had been exposed during fishing. She'd been so wrapped up in her fishing that she had refused Piper's pleadings of reapplying sunscreen. Piper knew Alex would be miserable when she woke up.

Looking at the redness that had spread across Alex's skin, Piper decided to let her sleep while she went to meet the outrigger canoe. This traditional va'a delivering breakfast to the hut was Alex's surprise. However, Piper decided she would video the entire ordeal and let Alex continue to sleep. She'd need her rest to cope with the pain she'd later face. She set up her large camera on the tripod and readied for the arriving paddler.

As the light began to stream in to the room, Alex began to stir. She felt her skin pinch as the burned skin was taut and drawn. She knew Piper had been right and this was the price she had to pay. Piper? The bed was conspicuously empty, so Alex took advantage of the cool sheets on Piper side, and slowly rolled over to let her hot skin cool off on the other side of the bed.

As she did, she felt a sheet of paper beneath her. As she pulled it out, she recognized Piper's handwriting. Smiling, she began to read.

_the words you whisper feed my desire_   
_as gusts of wind excite the waves_   
_on a september morn_   
_as your touch leads me safely_   
_to a place i can lose control_   
_and be whisked away_   
_by the rhythm of my quickened pulse_   
_while you delve into my soul_   
_and reach that time_   
_when my sky is softly stroked_   
_with the colors of your sunrise_   
_and our world is at peace once more_   
_firm and warm against all threat_   
_of the coming days of winter_   
_knowing that with full sun_   
_comes the fresh light_   
_and that first touch of your breast_   
_to mine_   
_sends rays of sunshine_   
_to my core where fire_   
_still burns from restful slumber_   
_and your laughter mocks the birds_   
_who gladden my heart_   
_and make me grateful_   
_to live_   
_that i may fall again with you._


	6. Sunburned as Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I originally wrote this fic, it was a cross-over with another OITNB that I was writing. So obviously it won't make sense here. I'm going to alter it some so maybe it'll make sense. The names though - I'm keeping - which are the actress's names of the cross-over characters. (Alex, Piper, and Nicky for THIS story) vs (Laura, Taylor, and Natasha in the other story). I just hope it doesn't blow up in my face.

Alex's chest filled with warmth and she re-read what Piper had written. Alex thought back to the evening she had first seen Piper waiting for her friend in Alleys. She recalled their trip to the coffee shop for decaf and lemon pound cake – how she had wanted to kiss Piper so badly that night and nearly ruined all chances of even getting to know her better by freaking her the fuck out. Little did Alex know that that the blonde would be her future wife.

Alex heard quiet voices in the front room. She winced as she slipped a light linen robe on over her blistered skin. Standing at the door, she saw her wife standing on the dock of their hut. A traditional outrigger was moored to the cleat of their dock. The Polynesian paddler was setting up quite the spread of breakfast on their deck. He completed the spread by putting up their large umbrella to shade the food. This undoubtedly was a special request due to Alex's foolhardiness yesterday which resulted in a bad sunburn.

Piper tipped the canoer and waved as he paddled into the changing colors of the sunrise. Turning to see Alex standing there, a broad smile crossed Piper's face. "Good morning Al. I thought you might like a surprise for our last honeymoon day."

Alex took a step into the light towards Piper and winced as the morning's heat hit her skin. Piper quickly grabbed a cloth bag and quickly ran up to the hut. "Don't come out here yet. I'm sure you are in a lot of pain.  **But**  I won't say it." Piper didn't have to say 'I told you so' as her smirk said it all for her. "The resort sent me some stuff for you."

Piper motioned Alex back into the interior shade of the hut and directed her to the bathroom. "It may be uncomfortable, but first – a cold shower." Alex resisted when Piper gently prodded her that direction. "Look Al, directions. Step 1. Have sunburnt person shower in cold water. Let's get this over with so we can eat."

Finally, Alex relented. The shower was miserable but she started to feel some relief as the salve provided by the resort began to draw out the heat of the burn. After her reddened skin had cooled considerably, Piper rubbed the special lotion all over the burned places on Alex's skin. "Mmmm Al, now you smell good enough to eat. How do you feel babe?"

"Better. Thanks. But I'm starving." While her skin was considerable cooler, Alex wasn't taking chances as she dashed through the sun's rays to the shade of the umbrella. Piper followed with a fresh pot of coffee.

* * *

The private breakfast made for a long, luxurious morning. "This is the life Piper. Maybe we should just stay here."

"Mmmm." Piper muttered something in agreement. She was intently reading the label of the lotion the resort had sent over. "Al?"

"Yeah?"

"These lotion ingredients. I could do this. Shea butter, almond and jojoba oil, some essential oils… This falls right in line with Popi."

"Piper. No work talk!"

"But Alex – just hear me out. This is a non-greasy vanilla lotion which all natural ingredients. I can pair this with my vanilla soap, and I bet I can also make vanilla candles. What an expansion opportunity. Popi's soap line is doing great, but what if we could expand our packaging to three products, each complimenting the other."

Alex loved the passion her wife displayed for her budding business. "Pipes, that sounds like a great idea. Let's set some time aside with Polly when we get back. But for now, will you pass the rest of the papaya?"

While Alex obviously could not repeat the shower process regularly through the day, she applied the cooling balm and lotion as many times as possible. Piper insisted Alex relax while she took care of the packing. The porter who came to retrieve their bag promised it would be waiting for them at the Tahiti airport.

The couple took one last walk around the resort admiring the beauty before making their way to the docks. Climbing aboard the shuttle boat, Alex pulled Piper's floppy hat down to shade as much of her skin as possible. She had also worn loose linen pants and a long sleeved white linen shirt to cover as much skin as possible. The water was choppy and she got the giggles each time Piper squealed as they went over a swell. They boarded the small aircraft in Bora Bora to make the short hop over to the main island of Tahiti to catch their main flight home.

* * *

Luckily the Air Tahiti Airbus A340 they were on had been newly refurbished and the business class seats were fresh, cool leather. The little gay steward took pity on Alex's baked skin and gave the couple a complimentary upgrade to first since the flight was only about three-quarters full. The seats had about five additional inches in pitch and three in width which certainly gave Alex some additional room to toss about in her discomfort. Another advantage of this class was the hanging curtain that pulled around her compartment where Piper could treat all her burnt skin more easily.

About half way over the Pacific as Alex as on probably her fourth bottle of water in attempts to rehydrate her skin, she looked over to Piper. "Okay Pipes. You win. You can say it."

Piper smiled sweetly and responded, "say what Al?"

"I told you so."

* * *

Yael was walking down the street after she completed the visit with her design customer. Starving she asked for food recommendations and was directed to Alleys, this bar about a five-minute walk away. Yael always loved to window shop and look at pretty baubles as she walked around in unfamiliar towns. She often stumbled across the best finds this way.

As she spotted sign for the bar across the street, something on this side of the street caught her attention. There was a four-plex which had the most wonderful aromas coming from its upstairs windows. Lorna stood there, eyes closed trying to sort out the natural smells like vanilla and rosemary along with the fruitier smells like peach. Turning to look for identification on the building, she saw that one plate glass window downstairs was covered in non-descript brown paper. There were two smaller signs tucked between that paper and the glass. One said, "Welcome Home Piper and Alex!" while the other said, "Future Home of Popi's Soaps, Handmade Soaps with All Organic Ingredients".

Yael stood there for a moment, filing the name in her memory. She fished out her phone and snapped a picture of the rough store front. After enjoying the odors a little longer, Yael turned to cross the street to Alleys. Hearing the little bell tinkle when she walked in reminded her fondly of the tiny cafe where her girlfriend worked in Donovan.

A slender woman, hair cropped close to her head was cleaning off tables towards the back. "TAYSTEE!" She shouted. "Taystee! You have a customer." Then to Lorna she said, "Hey. Have a seat wherever you wish. My FRIEND will be with you in a minute. TAYSTEE!"

"Why can't you help a sistah out? Geesh." A broader woman with a shoulder length 'fro slid behind the bar and in front of Yael. "What'llitbe?" Yael placed her drink order, and Taystee went about mixing the drink. "You aren't around here, are ya?"

"No, I'm from Donovan. It's not too far away." Yael tittered as the boldness of the bartender made her a little nervous.

"Aren't you a cute thing with your rosy lips? Better hope Nicky don't come in. She'll be stuck on you like white on rice."

Yael gulped, feeling the need to set the record straight. "Oh no. I have a girlfriend. Natasha. She's back in Donovan waiting on me."

"Well you just keep telling Nicky that. I think you are just her type. If you are hungry, we have a great menu, just go back to the kitchen there and Luschek will take your order. I'll keep a tab open up here for you."

* * *

Nicky swayed from foot to foot anxiously waiting for the monitor to show that Alex's plane had landed. While Alex was technically her boss, she was also her best friend. Two weeks was the longest they had ever gone without any kind of communication since they met. While Nicky had admitted to herself how much she had missed Alex, she would never admit it to anyone else, especially Alex.

Soon she saw Piper and a lobster red Alex coming down the escalator. "Hey stretch. Looking a little toasty there. Let me guess? Didn't listen to your wife, eh?" Nicky reached for Alex's bag as it was obvious she was uncomfortable.

"Shut up Nichols. Good to see you, too. How's the bar? Did it burn down… again?"

Nicky tossed her head back as she laughed. "Naw. We tried, but it's okay. Blondie. How was the trip? All sexed out?"

Piper punched Nicky in the stomach. "Nicky!"

Nicky wrapped her arms around Piper. "At least I can hug you. I'm afraid if I hug that one, she'll knock my block off."

"Thanks for picking us up Nicky. Do you know how Popi's is doing?" Nicky didn't respond. "Nicky…" Piper's tone was warning.

"It's ummm fine." Nicky always had a hard time keeping a secret and this one was one big secret. "We helped train a new set of girls. Polly loved us for that." Piper rolled her eyes. "Hey Piper, did you know that Polly  _loves_  birthdays?"

Piper chuckled. "I'm afraid to even ask."

* * *

As Yael waited for her food, she decided to ask Taystee some questions about the soap store across the street. "Do you know anything about the place across the street? Poppy's?"

Taystee spit out the mouthful of water she was about to swallow. "PO-pi – like ho and pee. Right? Yeah. I work there from time to time. Oh and one of the owners is married to the owner of this joint. It's all kind of messed up in a kissing cousins kind of way."

"It smells heavenly. Are their products any good?" Yael was using her sweet voice to wile information out of Taystee.

"Product." Taystee corrected the singularity. "They only make soap. But – it's damned good soap. Piper. She's the one who is married to Alex who owns this place. They are on their honeymoon but are due back today. If you hang around, you can probably meet her. The other owner is Polly. While she will never admit it, she loves it over here."

Taystee disappeared and came back with the vistor's food. She then left Yael to eat in peace.

* * *

"I know you are tired boss, but the girls. The girls really missed you. I mean we haven't heard from you in two weeks. We thought maybe a shark ate you. Can we please go by Alleys before home?" Nicky was doing her best to be just annoying enough to get Alex to agree to go by the bar so that Polly could put her plan in motion. Of course, none of this could wait another day. It would be uncivilized!

Despite being miserable, Alex looked over to Piper for conformation. Piper nodded. "Okay Nic, let's go."

Nicky let Alex and Piper out at the door and went to park the car. As Alex and Piper walked in, Poussey was the first to realize who had come in. "Boss! You are ALIVE. Roasted and toasted but alive! I'd hug you but no. Blondie – welcome home. Don't you teach your woman how to put sunscreen on?"

Piper hugged Pousse and laughed. "When has she ever listened to me?"

Yael was half listening to the conversation when she realized who had walked in – one of the owners from the soap store across the street. She decided to stay a little longer so she could maybe talk to Piper about her soaps for the bed and breakfast she managed in Donovan.

When the crowd of employees dissipated around the couple and they took their seats at barstools, Lorna gasped. "Taylor?" She called out before she could stop herself. Alex and Piper looked strangely at the customer.

Taystee dropped off the two waters Alex and Piper had ordered then came back to Lorna. "No, this is my boss, Alex, and her wife, Piper who owns the soap  _factory_  across the street." Taystee emphasized the word factory in hopes that Lorna would catch on and not ruin the surprise.

Yael slid over a few barstools closer. "Oh, I am so happy to meet you. I'm sorry I called you Taylor. You look just like my boss in Donovan. Actually you both do in a strange sort of way. Anyway. I manage a bed and breakfast in Donovan and we like to use local product in our establishment. I think this is close enough to be considered local. Anyway, I'm about to lose my soap supplier who is going more commercial so I'm looking for another. Oh my, oh my. Where are my manners? Congratulations on your marriage. Your fine bartender here told me you just got back from your honeymoon, and here I am babbling on about work. Here is my card. I'd love to talk to you later about your line as well as if you are planning to expand beyond soap."

Piper looked at Alex knowingly as she took the card from the out-of-town stranger. "I am a bit tired from the trip, but how about I get in touch. I am sure we can find a way to do business."

Yael waved bye to Taystee as she thanked her for the food and drink. As she turned to walk out the door, she did not notice the bushy haired bartender walking in. They collided solidly and Yael almost slipped off her feet. Nicky caught her by the elbow and steadied her on her feet. "Hey doll, where you headed so fast?"

Flustered, Yael muttered a quick apology and raced out the door.

"Who was that babe and why don't I have her number?"

Taystee gave a huge eye roll. "She has a girlfriend Nichols. Don't even try."


	7. Change Is A Comin'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remember that these next few chapters are cross-over to another story which is why I'm using the characters' real names. My apologies up front for any confusion.

The bartenders were so excited about hearing all about Alex and Piper's honeymoon. Nicky kept pushing for the more salacious details and of course was ignored by both newlyweds. So she resorted to teasing Alex relentlessly about her lobster sun burn. Piper could barely keep her eyes open, but if it was important to Alex's team that they were there, then she was game to visit for a bit.

The bell of the door tinkled to signify the arrival of another person. As everyone turned, Alex launched herself at the individual who entered. "Mom! What are you doing here?" Alex gingerly put her arms around Diane.

Diane looked at her daughter concerned. "Alex, what a sunburn you have. I'm almost afraid to touch you."

"Why are you here?"

"I haven't seen my daughter in two weeks. Do I need another reason to be here? Besides, I hear there is a celebration?"

Piper looked at Alex perplexed but greeted Diane warmly. "We missed you, too, Diane. Unlike your daughter, I can get a proper hug." She wrapped her arms around Diane and squeezed tightly. "Hey guys. I know you are dying to hear about our trip, but we haven't even looked at our pictures. Let me get them all dumped to my computer and processed then we can have a proper party. But first I would love to check on Popi's then my wife and I need to go home. You know – get some rest from the vacation!"

Hearing no complaints, Piper slid off the barstool and turned to go out the door. Nicky gave a thumbs up to Poussey and motioned towards her phone. Poussey grabbed a phone and thumbed out a quick text. Then Nicky herded everyone out the door. Piper was so tired she didn't even notice that Diane and most of the bartenders were following her and Alex across the street.

As they approached the building across the street, Piper stopped. The downstairs window of one side of the building was covered in butcher paper. Just now realizing that there was a crew of people with her, she slowly looked around. She slowly approached the door then saw the window with two signs. One said "Welcome Home Piper and Alex". The other… "Future Home of Popi's Soaps, Handmade Soaps with All Organic Ingredients". Stepping up the step, she reached for the door and pushed it open. Polly waited for her inside. "Welcome home Pip."

Motioning around the open space and to the sign in the window, Piper asked, "Pol, what is this?"

"Well my best friend, this is our new storefront. What do you think?"

Piper squealed. "Polly! I love it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"I didn't exactly get you guys a wedding present, so I hope this will suffice."

"You didn't have to but yes! And wait until you hear about my expansion ideas. I brought home some really good ideas."

Polly smiled at her best friend. "Well if you are planning on expansion, I'm glad there is more to show you then."

"More?"

Polly lead Piper upstairs and revealed the additional workspace. As predicted, Piper oooh'd and ahhhh'd about the spaces. Alex was surprised, too, so she was perhaps as excited as her wife. Diane, Nicky, and the rest of the crew that had joined them obviously knew of the surprise, mostly because they had helped set the spaces up.

"Polly, this means more to me than any other present that you could have ever bought me. We are going to take this little soap company to great heights. I am not sure how to properly show my gratitude. Please don't think that I don't appreciate this because I do." Piper hooked her arm into Alex's. The rest of her words were directed at everyone. "But my wife and I need to get some rest. We still officially have a few days before we are back to work, however I'm sure you will see us as we get recovered."

* * *

Yael slipped the bar of Popi vanilla scented soap out of its packaging. The bartender who called herself Taystee had given her a bar each of her personal favorites – vanilla, lavender, and rosemary mint. "But Taystee, I can't take your soap. You said this was good stuff."

"It is girl, believe me. But like I said, I pretty much have the inside track on supply. Take these - on the house. I'll make Piper give me more."

Natasha let herself into the carriage house of the bed and breakfast that Yael managed and found her girlfriend sitting at the kitchen table, design books piled high but pushed to the side, fiddling with some soap. "Hey doll, whatcha got there?"

"Oh hi. Well remember the trip I took into the city for my last client?" Yael's nasal accent had not lessened despite living in Donovan for a long time. "I came across this soap place. The strangest thing happened. It wasn't open, but the bartender at the dive hamburger joint across the street told me about the artesian soaps and how they are made. And then gave me some of her favorite scents." She slid the bar of vanilla across the table towards Natasha. "Smell that. Those are some very strong smells. High quality. That also tells me it should last a while."

Yael retrieved a chef's knife from the butcher block and cut the soap into half. "Look at the smooth consistency through and through."

Natasha played with the packaging. "Simple heavy, recycled paper.  _Popi's Handmade Artisanal Soap. Nothing Artificial,_ " she read. "Damn, they mean it."

"I met the owners. It was really strange though. They look just like Taylor and Laura." Again, Lorna did not mention the flirty bartender. "I got Piper's card. I think I'm going to e-mail her. They had just gotten home from their honeymoon. Isn't that sweet?"

"Yeah toots." Natasha reached over for a cream cheese pastry from under the globe on Yael's table and got her hand swatted for her efforts.

"No Natasha. You know you can't have that. How about a nice carrot muffin instead?"

* * *

A few days after their return from their honeymoon, both of the brides were back to work. Polly had set up a small office with room for two computers in the new upstairs workspace, and Piper was setting up her area. She had met the new employees and was quite impressed with the quality they brought to the operation.

Booting up her computer and launching her mail, there were only a few e-mails that Polly hadn't already taken care of in her absence as she had her e-mail forwarded to Polly's. There was a new one, however, that had arrived just this morning.

_Subject: Donovan Inn Bed and Breakfast_

_Body:_

_Dear Piper,_

_I am Yael Stone. I met you the day you returned from your honeymoon. Again congratulations on your nuptials. I spoke with the bartender that calls herself Taystee at length about your soap company. I promise she didn't give away any secrets! She told me how you make your soaps by hand and even gave me three bars of her favorite scents. (She said you call them flavors. That's so cute.)_

_As I mentioned at Alley's, I manage a bed and breakfast on Lake Donovan which isn't too far from you. I am in the process of looking for a new soap supplier. I would like to talk to you and your business partner about this._

_Also I am curious if you have thought about expanding your line to other products. We not only utilize the products in our business, we also offer our customers opportunities to purchase the same._

_When would be a good time for us to meet? I would be happy to return to your business, or you are welcome to come here._

_Sincerely,  
_ _Yael Stone  
_ _Proprietor Donovan Manor  
_ _Lake Donovan_

Piper leaned back in her chair. She needed to talk to Polly about her lotion and candle ideas before they met with this Yael. Maybe this would be a great opportunity for a test market for her ideas. She typed out a quick e-mail to Polly asking to meet the next day. Meanwhile did a brief bit of research and then went shopping.

* * *

Alex's first day back was excruciating. Not because of the burn as the salve Piper had gotten from the resort had done the trick in healing the tender skin. She just had to continually moisturize her skin. What was tormenting was being separated from Piper. She knew Piper was only yards away at her store, but they had spent the last two weeks inseparable and trying to get back to normality was agonizing. She wanted nothing more than to be with Piper constantly.

"Hey boss, you keep looking out the window. You expecting someone?" Nicky nudged her boss with her shoulder. "Got a girl on the side already?"

Alex shoved Nicky away then snapped her in the side with her bar towel. "Hell no. I miss my wife. Is there something wrong in that?"

"Not at all boss. I kinda like this new mellow you." Nicky waved her hair around. "You wanna go over the numbers from when you were gone?"

Alarmed, Alex said, "Why? Where they bad?"

"Pshaw, hell no. The place ran like a charm. I just thought maybe you wanted to see for yourself seeing how you are always such a freak about doing things for yourself."

"Maybe I have changed Nic. Mellow – just like you said. Hey, I have a vid to show you. Don't say anything to the crew first. I wanted to run it past you and see what you think."

Alex pulled out her phone, thumbing through to find the right clip. "Check this shit out. I think we can do this here. Thing is, I don't know if we should."

"You are always afraid of messing shit up boss. Let's see that vid." Alex held her phone up and pressed play. They watched as a trio of bartenders flipped bottles and glasses as they made drink to the cheers of the crowd. "Boss that's dope. We definitely should do this."

"Nic the tips were like you've never seen. I mean, I don't think this should become our new regular but perhaps during certain songs or time periods."

"Or if a hot chick comes in." Nicky waggled her bushy eyebrows.

Alex tossed her hair back as she laughed. "Yeah or that. You are incorrigible."

"It's something you should consider. Again it is something else that sets us apart. I mean you have this new swank interior. Still have the most awesome burgers in town. And gee – you have Joan Jett toking a fatty on your wall. Why can't we do Tom Cruise?"

"Who?"

"Nothing Alex. Let's look into it."

* * *

By the time Polly arrived for their meeting the next day, Piper was almost finished, or as finished as she could be at this point.

"Hey Pol, I know you need some days off after covering for me. Thanks for coming up here." She tossed a small screw-top bottle towards her best friend. "Try that."

Polly unscrewed the lid and smelled. "Nice. Smells like our soap." She squeezed some out on her hands and massaged into her skin. "Piper this is smooth, like butter. Is this from your resort?"

Piper grinned broadly. "No I made it. That's our soap recipe transformed with cocoa butter into a lotion." Polly's shocked look told Piper all she needed to know. "I know we can do this Pol. We can start with just a few flavors and see how it goes. And check this out. It's a little more complex, but it's the perfect complement." Piper reached into her drawer for a pack of matches and lit a wick protruding from a small nub of wax like substance. As it began to take hold, the strong yet familiar vanilla fragrance filled the space.

"I couldn't find the right mold last night, but this is again our vanilla recipe transformed into a candle."

"Piper this is amazing. How hard were they to make?"

"Let's just say that I didn't need long gloves and protective eyewear. Polly this is so possible."

While impressed, Polly didn't seem quite as ecstatic. "Piper our rent just tripled. We need to make sure that can meet the bottom line. We have new employees and a storefront to open up. All this takes money. I'm afraid to take on more than we can handle. I mean two more products. We don't even have a test market, other than those fools across the street."

"I think I have a solution to that as well." Piper handed Lorna's e-mail. "Right there is market expansion for the soap and our test market for the lotion and candles. Plus, we can use the storefront in a limited manner."

Polly read through the e-mail a few times. She sighed deeply before agreeing. "Okay Piper. This is going to be your baby though. It's all on you. Set it up the meeting for Monday. Meanwhile I'm going back home." Polly grabbed the small squeeze bottle. "And I'm taking this magical stuff with me."


	8. Tattooed Kangaroo

Taystee and Poussey both opened the soft cases in front of them. Nicky had a similar case but just watched her friends as she knew what the cases contained. Taystee withdrew one of the heavy plastic bottles, hefting it in her hand. Poussey's eyes grew wide as she rummaged through the contents of her case. "We are turning into a flair bar? That's dope!" Taystee strutted around, waving her hands all around like she was flipping bottles. Poussey grabbed Taystee's shoulder, spun her around and they swatted at each other's hands – high and low fives all around.

Alex chuckled at her bartenders' reaction. "So gals, I take it you don't have a problem with taking a few classes?"

"Hell no boss!" Taystee was now tossing the plastic bottle in the air. "Is Alley's really going flair?"

"Nope." Alex pulled out her phone. "I want to show you guys a video from Piper's and my honeymoon." She scrolled and found the video of the bartender in Bora Bora. "Of course this is a tourist destination, and this bar was all flair, all the time. I thought we'd start slow. I don't want to alienate our regulars. Once you guys get ready, we can come up with a plan – specific nights, certain songs, or special drinks."

Alex watched Poussey and Taystee dig through their tools. "Supreme Alex! This is beyond incredible. Sweet!"

Nicky finally spoke up. "Our bar work schedules have been adjusted for class time. No showing off in the bar until we get our completion certificate and receive clearance from the boss. Remember, it's a secret."

* * *

Piper settled into her office, opened up the lid on her laptop, and launched her e-mail application. After she located Lorna Morello's e-mail, she clicked reply.

_Hi Yael,_

_Thank you for e-mailing so quickly. I hope you are enjoying the sample soaps that Taystee gave you. My business partner and I are interested in meeting with you at your earliest convenience about providing soaps to your establishment. We have also just began internal discussions about adding lotion and candles to our collection. I will even have some samples to show you._

_As you know, my wife and I just returned from a two-week honeymoon. I am trying to get caught up with work, so I would have a hard time leaving again so soon. Would it be possible for you to return to the store here? Either Monday or Tuesday of next week would be perfect. Let me know when and the time that works best for you._

_I look forward to meeting you._

_Piper Chapman-Vause  
Popi Artisanal Soaps_

Piper pressed send and leaned back in her chair. Piper's list of plans today included getting to know the new employees a little better and examining Polly's excellent work with the new workspace upstairs. Polly had indeed given her the most excellent wedding present ever. Outgrowing their space was something nightmares were made of for Piper.

Daya and Sophia floated between the two rooms as they had soaps in various stages of production. They seemed to have steady rhythm going which made for efficient production. As Piper explored both the rooms, she collected a few bars of each flavor of soap to create a gift bag for her meeting with Yael. She already had made some additional vanilla lotion and small candles and gotten a few sample containers

* * *

Nicky, Poussey, and Taystee excitedly entered the building that would serve as their training school for the next few weeks. Nicky's mouth dropped open when their instructor walked out. She was a heavily tattooed woman – about 5'7". Her short hair was swept up and out of her face and had a body to die for. She walked up to one side of a free-standing bar.

Quickly she reached below the bar, came up with a coaster and snapped it forward. The coaster flew like a Frisbee and fell on the back of her other hand. She turned her hand over and let it fall to the bar top. She then reached for a napkin. Holding the corner opposite of the folded side, she again flicked her wrist and landed the napkin on the back of her other hand. She flipped her hand over and let it fall to the bar.

"What are you having?" She paused for effect. "The first interaction you have with your client sets the tone for the rest of their stay. Why just drop a napkin in front of them when you can present it with flair?"

"Welcome bartenders. I'm Stella, your instructor for the duration of this training. Alex assures me you are her best three bartenders. So I expect a lot from you." Poussey reached over and closed Nicky's mouth. "As we move through this together, you have to trust me that I will teach you the best techniques. I've been flipping bottles for over ten years. For you to be good, you are going to have to practice, practice, practice. But as soon as someone drops you a $50 tip because you impressed the hell out of them or that hot chick or dude you thought was out of your league leaves you their number on a napkin, all of the repetition will be worth it. Let's get started"

* * *

Alex and Piper were kicked back in Piper's third story flat. Piper was stretched out with her feet in Alex's lap. Waving her foot expectantly, she raised her eyebrows at Alex. "Please?"

Alex began to rub her wife's feet. "You are so spoiled."

"You've always spoiled me Alex. Even after our first date at the zoo. We ended up here with Chinese take-out and beer because I was too tired to finish the day you had planned."

"Yeah and how do you repay me? By falling asleep on me a  _second_  time."

"We've had some good memories, even from the first night we met. I think our marriage was inevitable Alex Vause."

"So Mrs. Chapman-Vause, now that we are back from our honeymoon, what are we going to do about our living arrangement? It doesn't make sense for us to maintain two households."

Piper sat up next to Alex, swinging her legs up onto the couch and leaning into Alex's warmth. "My place is a little bit bigger but it's on the third floor. On the other hand, your place is paid for. What are your thoughts? Should we look for a new place that is both of ours?"

Alex pondered the question for a few moments before answering. "I don't think so, at least not yet. You have your hands full expanding Popi's and I'm starting the goof-nuts at Alley's on flair bartending like we saw in Bora Bora. I've been thinking though. I'm not sure if you remember our first night in the coffee shop after your disastrous date."

"When you sucked down that huge slice of lemon pound cake in one swallow? Yes, I recall almost getting my hand stabbed with your fork," Piper chuckled.

Alex smiled. "I told you I was saving money so I could move my mom closer to me. Remember?" Piper nodded. "What would you think about me moving here with you. Then I could give my mom my flat. Like you said, it's paid for and I think she'd really enjoy living closer to us. She'd have to leave her jobs, yet now she wouldn't have to work multiple jobs."

Piper grinned. "Al you know I'd love for you to move here. And I have a feeling I know where Diane could work around here. We are opening the storefront in a few weeks and will need someone we can trust to manage the store. Polly and I can't be everywhere at the same time."

"You are the best wife ever. I'll call mom in the morning to see if she wants to meet for dinner." All her life, Alex had wanted to provide for her mother in some fashion to repay her for her relentless dedication to Alex growing up. Her life was finally at a point where she could begin to fulfil this desire.

* * *

Nicky grasped the neck of her bottle, flipped it over her shoulder and let it fall to the floor. "9". She retrieved the bottle and repeated the action. "10". She placed the bottle on the table. "That tattooed kangaroo is nuts having us practicing dropping bottles. Isn't that like teaching a girl how to play softball by having her strike out?"

"No!" Taystee finished her practice set. "She said, 'You mess up. Don't sweat it. Pick 'em up and try again.' It's a lesson."

"This is just to get us used to the idea that we won't be perfect although I already am." Poussey had moved on to her series of forward flip, single spins. About the time the words left her mouth, she dropped her bottle. "Damn." She caught the plastic bottle on the bounce and started her count over. She muttered the instructions to herself as she tried to perfect the move. "Bartender hold, around neck. Snap bottle out, away from your body. Let go and open your hand. The bottle falls right into your hand."

Stella had given them practice home work of two sets of ten perfect reps in a row of napkin or coaster tosses, bottle drops, forward flip single spins, and sideways flip single spins. While the assignment had sounded easy to begin with, all three bartenders were finding it challenging to complete ten textbook reps in a row.

"TEN!" Poussey raised her arms in triumph. "Practice, practice, practice. Twenty perfect ones down, a few hundred to go! I guess the tattooed kangaroo was right."

"8! Yo P! Don't call her that. You know if you do, you'll slip during class." Taystee glanced over at her friend. "DAMN it," she exclaimed as her bottle crashed to the ground. "I gotta start over."

* * *

Alex woke up and lazily slung her arm over her wife's shoulders. Piper only stirred slightly and murmured in protest when Alex began to kiss her shoulders. Alex moved her body atop of Piper's and rested her breasts on Piper's bare skin as Piper snuggled deeper into the mattress. Alex began to run her tongue over Piper's neck, shoulders and back. When that did not elicit a reaction, Alex began to gently nip at Piper's sensitive areas. Piper shifted but only a bit.

It was soon obvious that short of shaking her shoulders and interrupting her peaceful sleep, Alex was not getting any reaction from Piper this morning. She crawled out of bed and slipped on an old, soft t-shirt and pair of boxers and made her way to the kitchen to make coffee and to see what was (or wasn't) for breakfast.

Three cups of coffee, a banana, and a muffin later, Piper emerged rubbing her eyes. "Hey you are up. Is there any coffee left?" Alex motioned to the half full pot. "Been up long?" Alex scoffed. "You should have woken me up."

At this Alex laughed out loud. "I tried. Believe me, I tried."

Piper rolled her eyes and sat next to Alex. "Have you called your mom?" Alex nodded. "And? Are we meeting her for dinner?" Alex nodded again. "Fuck Al, you are difficult this morning."

"Just give you a hard time Pipes. Don't you have that big sales meeting today? With that woman from Donovan?"

"Yup. Yael Stone. I really hope this works out Alex. It's just what Popi's needs at this stage."

Alex tossed down the paper she'd been reading. "Well my sleeping beauty. I'm going to jump in the shower right quick because I have a busy day." Alex stood and kissed Piper on top of the head.

Piper wasn't exactly disappointed, but she expected to spend more time with Alex in the morning. She heard Alex rummaging through drawers getting out clothing while the shower water heated up.

Alex liked her showers scalding hot. And she took incredibly long showers. An idea popped into Piper's head as she drained her coffee. She silently slipped back into the bedroom and peeked into the bathroom. The soft silhouette of Alex's body projected through the frosted glass door. Piper made a mental note that when she remodeled the bathroom, the shower stall was to be perfectly clear glass. Although, watching a shadow of Alex standing there, water pouring over her naked body was quite arousing.

Piper knew Alex showered with her eyes close to maximize the relaxation of the blistering temperature of the water. She watched as Alex lathered her hands with Piper's peach soap, Alex's favorite flavor, and ran her hands all over her own body ensuring soap was in every crevice. Piper stealthily slipped out of her t-shirt and dropped her panties on the floor and cracked open the shower door. She swiftly let herself in and closed the door so as to capture as much of the building steam as possible.

Alex smirked as she heard the click of the door. Her nonchalant behavior earlier in the kitchen had worked. Piper had come to her in the shower. Now maybe she could get what she had been aching for when she woke up this morning next to a naked Piper.

Standing behind Alex, Piper slipped her hands around Alex's waist. With a bar of soap in one hand, she heavily lathered one of Alex's plump breasts and then the other. Once that task had been completed, she fully soaped her wife's back and replaced the soap in its place. Piper's hands immediately returned to Alex's breasts, holding them, massaging them. As she pulled on the nipples, a moan slipped from Alex's mouth. Piper dropped her hands to Alex's hips and tugged slightly. Alex turned around and their mouths crashed together. Alex devoured Piper's mouth as if she hadn't seen Piper in months, shoving her against the other wall of the shower.

Alex moved one thigh between Piper's leg while Piper grabbed Alex's ass with both hands. Piper moved her body down and began to move rhythmically against her wife's leg, pulling Alex into her with each motion. Alex broke their kiss and moved her mouth to Piper's shoulder. Sinking in her teeth gently but enough for Piper to gasp, Alex drug her teeth back up Piper's neck.

"Please Al."

"Mmm?"

"Al. Please. Touch me."

"I am touching you." Alex was caught up in running her hands all over her bride's skin and was lost in the moment.

Piper was not in the mood for slow this morning. "Damn it Al. FUCK ME."

This snapped Alex out of her daze as Alex reached down to one of Piper's legs and brought it around her body. Without making Piper wait any longer, Alex pressed two fingers into Piper who squealed in delightful pleasure. As Alex inserted a third, Piper whimpered and tightened her leg around Alex's waist. Piper began to buck against Alex's hand as she threw her head back against the shower glass in ecstasy.

"I said fuck me Alex Vause. Fuck me like you mean it." Piper reached up and grabbed one of Alex's nipples, squeezed hard.

Caught off guard, Alex tried to not wince in pain but began to thrust deeper and harder into Piper. Fucking is one thing, but Alex wanted more. Something that would satisfy her lover's ache but would also drive her insane. Alex dropped to her knees, hot water still raining down on her back and kept manipulating her fingers inside of Piper. She added her tongue to the wetness that had nothing to do with the water and lapped furiously at Piper's swollen clit.

Piper wrapped her fingers in Alex's long wet hair and pulled Alex's face in closer. When Alex had dropped to the floor, Piper pushed her foot against the opposite side of the shower stall. Now Piper was teetering right on the edge of explosion. Alex knew this because Piper's walls were pulsating and she had the tell-tale moans of increasing volume.

Alex grinned against Piper's clit as Piper released a scream when her body went into spasms. and thought,  _Yeah baby._ _ **This**_ _is what I wanted this morning._


	9. Please Ma? Please?

"Piper relax. It's just a business proposal meeting." Polly was growing weary of Piper arranging and rearranging product on the desk.

"It's not just a meeting Polly. This is a venture that can take our simple soap business to new heights. I checked out this bed and breakfast on their website. Founder's Inn is quite impressive and is very well respected in the small town. The owners seem to have complete support of the entire community in which they are located. The online booking tool – yeah – the next availability for one of their smaller rooms – was eight weeks out. So this isn't just any business proposal meeting."

When Yael arrived, the three women went through the formalities of introductions. While Yael and Piper had briefly met before, she had not met Polly. Piper gave her a smartly decorated gift bag. "These are bars of each flavor that we currently produce. Our soaps are handmade and contain nothing but natural ingredients." Piper spoke with pride as she and Polly had worked hard to get these products where they were today.

"Obviously you would need a smaller product. As we would have to have the molds created, there are some options. I noticed your unique logo on Founder's Mansion website. If the owners are willing to help with the mold costs, the soaps could be pressed with the logo embossed."

Yael squealed with delight. "Really? How much would that add to the per unit price?"

Polly spoke this time. "Honestly, the only any additional cost would be in the molds since use of those would be obviously restricted to your business. If we make a deal, we are only asking to share costs striking the molds."

"I am certain I can get Taylor and Laura to agree. They are awesome bosses." Yael directed her next statement towards Piper. "Did I tell you how much you and your wife remind me of Taylor and Laura? Definite doppelgangers."

Piper chuckled. "Yes, Yael, I believe you mentioned that. So – next order of business. You asked if we were planning on expanding our product line. Here are two things I experimented with last week." She pushed a small bottle of lotion towards the proprieter. Piper then lit a small tea candle and thrust it forward as well.

Yael squeezed some lotion on her hands, smelled it, and rubbed it in. She squeaked in delight once again. "This smells heavenly and feels like butter. Oh Piper. I love it! I'm glad you chose vanilla as your first scent. So does this mean you are willing to expand?"

Piper looked at Polly as if to say 'I told you so'. "We'd like to use your establishment and our new soon-to-be opened storefront downstairs as a small test market. If successful, we will expand beyond vanilla."

"Seasonal scents maybe?" Yael asked hopefully.

"Let's cross that bridge when we get to it."

Piper presented Yael with a cost sheet outlining the molds, soap costs, and agreement for the test market of lotion and candles. "Present this to your bosses and see what they think. I'll pre-order some labels with your logo and bring a small sample order to Donovan in a few weeks. If the owners agree to the deal, we can get started fulfilling the initial order as soon as the contracts are signed."

* * *

As the doors had just opened, the bar was still empty. Alex knew this wouldn't last long, but sometimes these were the times she cherished most. She flourished a dry dusting cloth and waved it around with the beat of the music stopping at each framed piece of memorabilia on the walls. As she carefully wiped down each item, examining each autograph and the donation tag below it, Alex knew just how lucky she was.

Her bar had nearly burned to the ground many months earlier. She had lost years and years of stockpiled music collectibles. Many things she had purchased from E-bay or had been given to her by friends. Some she had been lucky enough to attain directly from the source. Each had special meaning in her life. However, all was lost due to smoke or water damage. Alex had been devastated.

While Alley's was being remodeled, she got a text to come to Popi's which was across the street from the bar. Apparently Polly had been too busy to let her know that mail and packages for Alley's had been piling up in the storage closet at Popi's. Regulars from the bar and strangers alike flooded Alex with autographed mementos to rebuild her collection. Never in her wildest dreams could Alex have imagined the thoughtfulness of her customers and outright generosity of strangers.

Then to top that off, there was a spanking brand new, larger than life mural of Joan fucking Jett on her wall that had been personally autographed by the rock goddess herself thanks to the Food Network's Michael Symon and Guy Fieri.

Alex smiled to herself. She had the perfect life, the perfect wife, what more could she ask for? She slipped behind the bar to make sure it was fully stocked. As soon as she dipped her head below the bar, she heard the doorbell tinkle signifying a customer. Alex's inward smile turned to an outright grin as her perfect wife walked in the door. "Pipes."

"Hey Al. Do you remember Yael? She's here from Donovan to talk about expanding to her bed and breakfast there."

"Welcome to Alley's Yael." Alex leaned over the bar to get a kiss from her new bride. The show of affection in front of their guest caused Piper to blush for some reason. "I know it's early, but can I get you something to drink?"

"Do you have ginger ale?"

Alex chuckled. "Sure thing! One ginger ale coming up." Alex set the soda in front of the guest. "So did my devoted wife convince you that her products were obligatory for the continued success of your hotel?"

The woman giggled as she sipped her drink. "I like you Alex. You two need to come to Donovan. You'll like the small town atmosphere."

Piper spoke up. "Yeah, I hear there is this awesome bed and breakfast which is housed in a house from the 1800's build by the founders of the town. There's only one problem. It's booked solid for the next two months."

Yael twittered as Alex spoke. "I guess that's not a bad problem to have. I hope you snatched us a room Piper. I think we will be due to another weekend away in a few months."

"You will love the inn. I live in the old carriage house. Direct decedents from the original Donovan family, three generations worth, are part owners. There is a great deal of history there if you are into that kind of stuff." Yael's pride was showing as she talked about the in

Alex got a curious look on her face. "Sounds like a place my mom would love. Any chance to get two rooms?" The innkeeper promised she'd look into it as soon as she got home.

Piper rubbed her stomach. "I know it's a little early for the kitchen to be open, but do you think Luschek would make us an order of chili-cheese fries? Will you ask him for me? Pretty please?"

Alex rolled her eyes and went back put in an order for a very special customer. Piper heard Luschek's booming voice echoing from the kitchen. "What? Piper can't wait fifteen minutes until the kitchen is open?"

Alex came back and said, "He said he'd be delighted." They all laughed.

The door tinkled again and bounced back against the wall as the person entered animatedly. Alex winced as she was afraid the glass would shatter someday.

Nicky raced in and ran towards the back of the bar. "I'm sorry I'm late boss lady. I gotta change clothes. I'll stay late. Love you lots. Hi blondie." Nicky raced right past the other guest as she went to change into her work clothes.

Neither Piper nor Alex realized that as soon as Nicky raced in, Yael tensed. She picked up her pocketbook and hopped off her barstool. "Well Piper I'm glad we got to meet. I will get back with you as soon as I know about the contract." Yael's voice had moved into a higher octave which only enhanced her thick Boston accent as she was clearly nervous that Nicky had come in.

Piper placed her hand on her guest's arm. "The fries will be ready in just a few minutes. You said you loved them from your last visit. Surely you can stay a little longer. Please?"

Yael quickly glanced behind her towards the direction in which Nicky had raced. She slowly climbed back onto the stool. "Oh okay. I'll stay." Alex topped off her ginger ale and smiled at the nervous woman.

Nicky came from the back carrying the order of fries and placed them in front of Piper. "Here you go blondie." Then she noticed Yael. "Well hello there toots. I didn't see you when I came in. So you came back to see me after all?" Nicky leaned over the bar and winked at Lorna.

Yael refused to look up and was pointedly ignoring Nicky.

Luckily Piper came to her rescue. "Nicky, leave the poor girl alone. You are scaring her off. Yael here has a girlfriend." She realized that her guest had let out a breath she had been holding. Now Piper knew that Yael had wanted to leave because Nicky had shown up so felt obligated to protect her. "Just leave her be."

Nicky bowed towards Yael. "Well it is my loss then Yael. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. Enjoy those fries."

* * *

Yael had finally taken her leave to return to Donovan, and Piper had ventured back across the street to Popi's to start on the work she had promised to deliver in a few weeks. While the bar was still devoid of customers, Nicky was telling Alex about the bartenders' first night in class. "That Justin Bieber wanna be is fucking hot – a hard ass – but hot."

Nicky showed off the one safe coaster toss and air-demonstrated the forward and sideways flip single spins. "And then she has us doing this." Nicky grabbed and expensive bottle of scotch. She went to toss it over her shoulder and to let it drop. As she saw Alex's horrified look, Nicky stopped and laughed. "Psych! But we even have to practice dropping bottles."

"I suppose that makes sense. Practicing dropping bottles gets that out of your system. Shit happens and you have to pick it up and move on. Just remember, no skills when customers are here."

* * *

As Diane walked in the restaurant, Alex and Piper hopped up from their bar table to meet Alex's mom. Piper always loved seeing her wife's face light up when saw her mother. Nobody could deny that Alex was her mother's daughter and the love between them was undeniably strong. Even through the new stages of their relationship, Alex had not missed even a single weekly dinner with her mother except when she and Piper were out of town.

"Mom!" Alex enveloped her mother in a strong embrace.

Diane hugged her daughter back and pulled Piper into the mix. "Piper, this one acts like she hasn't seen me in a month of Sundays. How are you two?"

As the women separated, Piper responded. "Doing well Diane. I'm glad you could make it even though this isn't our regular night."

The women were quickly seated and placed their orders. Diane wanted to hear all about their honeymoon. While they didn't have all of the pictures, Alex and Piper both had pictures on their phones. Diane's favorite stories were about Fred, the flounder, and the young boy on the scuba trip who tried to rub off Alex's rose tattoo.

"You girls sound like you had a fabulous time. I'm looking forward to seeing  _all_  your pictures." Diane beamed at Alex. "I still can't believe my baby girl is married. I'm so proud of you." She patted Alex on the hand. "And I couldn't have picked a better wife for you myself."

The general chit chat continued through dinner. As dinner wrapped up and the trio waited on a dessert to split, Alex decided to broach the subject for which they had convened for dinner. "Mom, I have some more news for you."

Diane's eyes widened. "Am I going to be a grandmother?" She asked hopefully.

Alex laughed. "No mom. There is too much going on in both our careers." She glanced over at Piper who nodded slightly. "I'm moving in with Piper."

Diane chuckled. "Well I would hope so. You married the woman." The shared dessert arrived, and Diane cut off a piece of cake, speared it with her fork and raised it to her mouth.

Alex took a deep breath and continued. "Mom my flat is fully paid for, and I don't want to sell it. Nor do I want renters in there destroying the place. I want you to move into my old place."

Diane thought about this a few moments before responding. "Alex I know you want me closer and I would love to move there. But I have two jobs which are closer to where I live now. The commute would kill me. I'm not getting any younger, you know."

Piper now spoke her piece. "And that's the other bit of what we wanted to talk to you about. Diane, as you know Popi is opening a store front. Also, we are possibly moving into the lotion and candle business. Polly and I are working on a contract with a bed and breakfast which will expand our business exponentially. I need someone to help manage the storefront so that Polly and Piper and I don't get too overwhelmed. To start, your main responsibility would be the store front and then we would figure out things as we go along."

Diane looked back and forth between her daughter and Piper. "You two have really thought this through."

"Mom you have worked so hard all of your life. You know quite well that it has always been my goal to make things easier for you. You gave me everything growing up and make sure that I wanted for nothing, even if that mean working three and sometimes four jobs. Moving to my old place and taking the job at Popi's means you could walk to work." Alex began ticking off benefits on her fingers. "You would work across the street from your favorite daughter. You'd only have to work one job. You'd have the best boss ever. And I hear she provides damned good benefits for her employees."

"You two girls have certainly given me a lot to think about tonight. Your offers are generous. I need some time to think about this though."

"Time to think about what?" Alex's response was indignant. "Mom you love my flat. You'd be closer to me. And you'd have a single, incredible job." She looked at her mom with pleading eyes.

Diane looked at Piper. "What if I need to negotiate the terms of my employment offer?" She raised a single eyebrow showing where Alex had gotten one of her signature facial moves. Like mother, like daughter.

"I bet we can come to a suitable arrangement so that you will accept the position." Piper grinned at her mother-in-law. "Diane, on the very first date that Alex and I ever went on, she told me that she was saving money to move you closer. This would mean so much to both of us."

Diane took the last bite of cake and looked at her daughter. "Alex, Piper, you two ladies drive hard bargains. You have a deal. I'll put in my two week notices tomorrow. Piper I'll call you for when we can have a conversation about the job."

Alex jumped up from her chair and raced around the table. She pulled her mom up and into a fierce hug. "Have I told you lately how much I love you Ma?"

"Every day Alex. Every day."


	10. Sample Trouble

"Ma, you don't have to do this you know?" Alex's deep voice always tickled her mom's chest.

"You and Piper didn't have to hire movers either kid. I could have handled things on my own. You know I've moved more times than I can count." Diane wrapped her arms around her daughter.

Alex rolled his eyes. "Ma, you aren't a spring chicken anymore. I think the heavy lifting would have put us both in an early grave. But you don't have to help me redecorate. Besides, Piper is pretty particular about her place."

"Kid, it's both of your places now. She'll be fine. You can blame everything on me." Diane reached up to one of the shelves and pulled down a shoe box labeled Alex-1. "What's this kid?" She pulled off the lid and began to rummage around the contents.

"Mom. You are so nosy!" She peeked over her mom's shoulder. "Oh my goodness. I can't believe she kept all this. This is from Piper's and my first date." Alex gently pulled out the items held within the box. She chuckled as she brought out the zoo map. "Piper was so cute when she insisted that we get two maps. Now I know that she fully intended to use mine and save hers for her box." Also in the box were the ticket stubs and one of the smashed pennies. "I think I have a ring that should be in the box."

"A ring?" Diane raised a single eyebrow, much like her daughter. "On your first date, you were already looking to the future."

Alex rolled her eyes. "No. We went geocaching and it was some cool swag I found in one of the caches. I think I know where it is."

Diane thought for a moment and said, "Well when you do, let me know. I'll sneak this out of your apartment and make a shadow box for her."

Alex gave her mom a big hug. "You are my favorite mom, ya know that?"

* * *

Stella stood in front of the three trainees from Alley's. "So time to see how you ladies did on your homework. Who would like to flip first?" In turn each woman went through their paces almost flawlessly. "I'm impressed. Alex said you were dedicated, so thumbs up to you. We started out with some pretty basic things last week. This week we will switch things up and get into some randomness."

With the next skill, the bartenders did dry practice runs on empty beer bottles. They were all trying to perfect the skill first as there was a reward for the best student of the skill.

After looking up and down the line, Stella finally tossed the bottle opener to Nicky. Pulling three cold beers from the cooler, she motioned to Nicky. "You're up girl."

"Whoop!" Nicky's shriek echoed off the walls. As Nicky gathered the three bottles – the first and second held between her thumb and second finger and the third held by her pinky – Stella pulled out her own frosty bottle and cracked it open herself. Nicky spun the beer opener around her finger a few times then came around the back of the bottles and popped each open in turn. Her attempt at the live skill drill was a success and all three women hooted in delight. Nicky slid a beer to each side to Poussey and Taystee and took the third for herself. "Cheers bitches."

After their beer break, Nicky grinned at Stella. "So are we ready to take this show on the road? I can definitely do that one on the job."

"Whoa, whoa. No. Remember the deal. There will be no live practicing until you graduate. It's all about muscle memory. Bottle opening is a breeze. Let's tackle more tricks."

The next thing we are going to do is the bump. There's lots of things you can do with this, so here's the deal. First, you need to know where to bump the bottle." Stella lifted her arm and bent her elbow, tapping the meaty part of her arm. "You want the bottle to hit here. If it hits bone, now that hurts like a bitch. Plus, you can't control where the bottle goes if it hits off your bone."

"The coupling move with this is throwing it over your shoulder where it lands exactly on that meaty part of your elbow. Right now, just bump and catch. But when you feel comfortable with that you can practice a stall or a fake pour."

As the women spread out to practice, Stella walked around to correct their form. Overall she was quite surprised at the trio's enthusiasm. Realizing she could push them harder than previous classes, she tossed a few additional tricks for the week's practice.

* * *

Alex trudged up the stairs at Popi's. She knew that the office was on the newer side upstairs, the one that manufactured the more floral scents. However, the earthier smelling side had a stronger appeal to Alex. She stood between the rooms before going into the floral side to find Piper in the office.

There were cases of bottles strewn across the floor as well as boxes of labels for the new line Popi's was developing for Donovan Manor. Piper had her back to the door as she animatedly talked on the phone. Alex quietly snuck in, closed and locked the door. She stealthily made her way behind an unsuspecting Piper's chair.

The moment Piper pressed end on her phone, Alex engulfed her in her arms, kissing her solidly on her neck. Being caught off guard, Piper squealed but immediately recognized her wife's embrace. "Well hello. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Do I have to have a reason to come see my wife?" Piper smiled unabashedly at Alex's words. "What's all this?"

"These are the sample bottles and labels for Donovan Manor, the bed and breakfast that Lorna manages."

Alex rummaged through the new items. "I didn't realize you had signed the contract yet. There's a lot of stuff here."

"We haven't. We are taking a group of samples to Donovan this week to see how it goes over with the owners. If the contract falls through, the only thing we cannot use are the extra labels. I'm only labeling the bottles and boxes that I'm providing in their samples box."

"You are really doing this, aren't you Pipes? Expanding Popi's?" Piper nodded. "I'm so proud of you. You need to see about getting that fourth workspace or talking to the building owner to see if he'll just sell you the building."

Piper made a funny face and scoffed. "Polly is worried about capital outlay right now. She's afraid we've over extended ourselves now. She's always been a worry wart, but I think we can do it. I love this building. I'd love to own it outright!"

Alex straddled Piper as she sat in her office chair. "A little awkward, but this is doable." Alex bent down and pressed her lips against Piper's smooth skin. "I've missed you Pipes."

Piper smiled into the kiss. "It's only been four hours since I saw you Al." She returned Alex's sweet affection as she ran her hands up Alex's arms.

"Has it? I've lost track." Alex grasped Piper's hands and moved them to her breasts. She then reached down and grabbed Piper's ass with both hands. Alex sucked Piper's lower lip into her mouth.

Piper let out a low groan. "Mmmm babe. I have work to do."

"You mean you have me to do." Alex moved one hand around to Piper's core and felt the heat emanating from Piper's jeans. She gently massaged through the rough cloth.

Without warning, the office door rattled. Both women froze. Piper began to giggle. "You locked the door?"

Alex nodded and wiggled her eyebrows.

Polly's voice rang out. "Piper? Piper are you in there?"

* * *

Piper carefully boxed up all of the samples that were going to Donovan. There were two cases each of the new lotion bottles with Donovan Manor labels, candles and soap. The soap were full sized bars since they did not yet have molds for the size that would go into the rooms. She and Polly had decided to keep everything a neutral vanilla until they got signatures on the contract. Once they had additional cash flow, they would be able to expand production.

"Are you sure you don't mind doing this for us Nicky?" Piper shut the trunk once she had double and triple checked the order.

Nicky rolled her eyes. "For you, blondie, anything. Besides, it gets me out of behind the bar for a day. I always am out for an adventure. Besides living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun every year."

Piper snickered. "You make absolutely no sense sometimes Nicky."

"But that's why you love me Mrs. Boss Lady."

"Yeah, but keep your receipts for the trip just the same."

* * *

The drive to Donovan wasn't far, and Nicky honestly didn't mind. Besides she had ulterior motives for agreeing to help Piper out in her bind. Piper was originally going to make the delivery but was accidently double booked with the architects of the new store front which Popi's was trying to open up as soon as possible. So Nicky volunteered her services.

After double checking the address Piper had given her, Nicky pulled up to a café called  _The Place_. Knowing this was not the final destination of the boxes, she did not get out any of the trunk. She got out the folder which contained the manifest of good she had as well as blank contracts in case Popi's was lucky enough to obtain signatures today.

Nicky tossed the folder on a table and went to the front to order a coffee and pastry to snack on while she waited on Yael. The cashier was a heavy set woman with short black hair and green eyes. Her nametag proclaimed her name to be "Boo". Nicky chuckled to herself and made her way to the table to wait on Yael.

The wait was not long and the proprietor came rushing in like a whirlwind. When she saw Nicky, she froze. Quickly regaining her composure, she approached the bushy haired bartender. "Oh Nicky. Hi, what a surprise. I thought Piper was coming."

Nicky grinned at the woman's discomfort. Remembering that this represented a pretty big deal for Popi, she was on her best behavior. "Cute place here. Can I get you some coffee or something?"

Yael nodded her head as Boo walked up. "My girlfriend works here. Boo takes care of me. Right Boo?" Boo just glared at Nicky, sat her friend's drink down and walked off towards the back of the café.

The odd display of behavior was soon forgotten by Nicky as she pulled out the order manifest. "So this is what Piper sent. I didn't bring any samples in because I presumed I could just deliver them to where they need to go rather than to a café. No reason for them to be moved twice."

Yael twittered nervously. Nicky was not being overly flirtatious, but the bold bartender still made her nervous. All of a sudden a door slammed against the wall in the back of the café. Yael's eyes grew wide as she saw a familiar figure racing towards them. Natasha!

Natasha ceremoniously grabbed Nicky by shirt collar and dragged her out of the booth, shouting at the top of her lungs. "What in the  **fuck** do you think you are doing?" Yael was frozen in place, not knowing what to do and in fear or what Natasha would do to Nicky.

The next occurrence blew her mind. The two women were embracing and pounding each other on the back. "What am I doing? What are  **you**  doing? I heard rumors my cousin worked in this area so I thought I'd try to come find her and here you are harassing paying customers." Nicky was cackling. This was **not** where she had expected to find her cousin.

"My god Nicky. It's been, what, at least five years since I've seen you. Where have you been?"

While still confused, Yael was visibly relaxed that her girlfriend wasn't going to pound the hell out of Nicky. "Ummm honey, what's going on here?"

Natasha turned to her girlfriend. "Oh babe. I'm sorry. Remember the cousin I used to tell you stories about, the one I used to always get in all sorts of trouble with?" Lorna nodded. "This is her. Nicky. Nicky, this is my girlfriend Yael."

Nicky grinned. "It's all making sense now. I guess she really is hands off now cuz."

The three woman sat around  _The Place_  until closing time so that Nicky and Natasha could catch up on each other's lives and commiserate on trouble they could get into next.

* * *

After spending an unexpected night in Donovan and feasting on Yael's delicious food, Nicky insisted she had to get back home. She had a shift later that night and didn't think it'd be fair to miss another night.

After a quick freshen up at her flat, Nicky went to Popi to search out Piper. The doors were locked up tight, so Nicky next ventured over to the second likely place to find her boss's wife, the bar. Sure enough Piper was having lunch next to Alex at her regular spot.

Poussey and Taystee were working behind the bar and started clapping when Nicky walked through the doors. "Girl!" Taystee shouted. "You didn't come home yesterday. There's a story to tell. I can smell it." Nicky decided to play along and just grinned from ear to ear.

She pulled up a stool next to Piper and stole a cheese covered fry. "Nicky. You didn't. That poor girl. She said she had a girlfriend."

"I know." Nicky didn't expound on her statement. But she did pull out the folder that Piper had given her yesterday. "I believe the signatures you need are in there."

Piper pulled out the sample manifest and checked Lorna's signature. "Thanks. But I knew I shouldn't have trusted you. That poor girl will never be the same."

Nicky pushed the folder a little closer. "Piper. That's not what I meant.  **ALL** the signatures you need are in there."

Excitedly, Piper withdrew the remaining papers to find that the contracts had all been properly executed with all of the needed signatures and documentation. "Nicky! Oh my god. You did it. Did you really sleep with that poor girl just to get the contract?"

Nicky rolled her eyes and made a disgusting face. "Ewwwww no. I found out that Yael is dating my cousin, Natasha. Natasha is part owner of the café Laura and Taylor own. Did Yael tell you that they look just like you two? It's creepy." Piper punched Nicky in the arm. "Ouch! Anyway after they went through the samples, Natasha, my cousin vouched for me and I vouched for you and Popi's. So there you have it. What can I say? It pays to know people!"

Piper jumped off her stool and wrapped her arms around Nicky. "Oh Nic, I absolutely adore you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

While Nicky wasn't quite comfortable with her boss's wife embrace, she hugged her back. "It's no biggie Piper. I got to reconnect with my cousin, so I think I got the better end of the deal."

Piper called Polly and told her to get to Alleys as soon as possible. Alex jumped behind the bar and poured shots for the house. Alex, Piper and Nicky were well on their way to being drunk when Polly came rushing in to find out what the ruckus was about.

The next thing heard was singing coming from the direction of the kitchen as Taystee and Poussey filed out encouraging everyone to join in. "Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to YOU. Happy birthday dear Pooooooollllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. Happy birthday to YOU!" Everyone cheered and clapped as Luschek set the lit cupcake in front of quite disgusted Polly.


	11. International Talk Like a Pirate Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> International Talk Like a Pirate Day is September 19 peeps. Honor it! Arrrgh.

Nicky came blowing into the bar. "Ahoy, me matey. Batten down the hatches. I get a sense the carousers will be out in force tonight. I'm ready to gather all the doubloons the wenches toss into my jar. There will be no pillaging my tips or I'll be having ya walk the plank." Nicky was brandishing a plastic sword that was about as long as she was tall.

Taystee stared at her workmate, jaw slacked in amazement. "What in creation has gotten into you Nichols?"

"Aaaarrrrgggghhhh!" Nicky responded. "It's International Talk Like a Pirate Day." She lifted the sword she was holding in one hand and crossed it across her chest.

Taystee shook her head and rolled her eyes. "No jackass. International Talk Like a Pirate Day was Monday. You're so stupid."

"Blimey. Well blow me down! It's still fun." Nicky shoved the sword in her belt and slid behind the bar.

"Ummm no. Don't make me call boss lady on you. I'm not working if you are going to talk like a fucking swashbuckler all night."

"Damn Taystee. You really know how to take the fun out of international holidays." Nicky pulled the sword from her belt and propped it in the corner. "I'm wearing the patch though. It will help with the lassies."

Alex walked up front from the back. "Hey gals. Are you ready for the night crowd?"

Nicky perked up. "Aye, aye Capitan!" She saluted Alex.

Taystee just growled under her breath.

Alex looked at Nicky. "What's up with her?"

Nicky lowered her voice to a stage whisper. "Arrrrrgh. Me thinks the scallywag is afraid of being marooned."

Alex didn't even try to make sense out of her best friend and walked off.

* * *

The next evening was Alex and Diane's, and now Piper's, traditional dinner night. Just because the four now lived within walking distance did not mean they had to change their routines. Family time was something that had _always_ been important to Alex and Diane as for so long they had only each other to lean on. Piper – well Piper was just icing on the cake, a breath of fresh air that molded the family that much closer together.

Piper wanted to see how Diane had decorated Alex's old flat, so she insisted on going there for after dinner coffee. Piper brought along a packaged dessert from the restaurant for them to share and set about dividing it while the younger Vause brewed coffee.

While they waited, Piper walked around, admiring the pictures Diane had again lovely hung about the place. Each photo chronicled a time in Alex's life. The ones of them both together always painted a picture of love with no boundaries.

Diane stood next to Piper, placing a hand on her shoulder. "What are you thinking about so hard Piper?"

Piper unconsciously dabbed at the corner of her eye and sniffled slightly. "Honestly? I was thinking of the first day we met Diane. Alex brought me to your place." Piper chuckled. "You sent her shopping so we could gossip. And then you told me… I remember your words like they were yesterday. _'Just don't break her heart Piper. I know she puts on a big façade, like she can't be touched, but she can. If she lets you in, then it doesn't work out, it will indeed crush her.'_ " Piper turned to Diane.

"Oh Piper. I now know that you could never hurt our Alex." Diane faced Piper with a twinkle in her eye. "Do you remember what happened next?" Diane walked over to the mantle above the fireplace.

Piper gently picked up the ragged, thread bear stuffed animal and brought it to her lips. She whispered softly. "Hi Alley. I see you have a place of honor in the living room now. You deserve it." Piper gently placed Alex's childhood toy back on the shelf. Alex walked over and gave her old friend a soft pat on the head.

The women settled down on Diane's new sectional which Alex insisted on purchasing for a "house warming present" and were enjoying their coffee and dessert. "I'm so glad you agreed to take Alex's old place Diane. I love that you are so close to us now."

Diane smiled warmly. "Me, too Piper. I like being close to my favorite daughter-in-law."

Alex twitched one eyebrow up and cleared her throat. "Don't you mean you  _only_  daughter-in-law?" Alex questioned.

Diane looked at her daughter teasingly. "Just because she's my  _only_  doesn't also mean she's not my  _favorite._ " They all laughed.

Piper felt so warm here. This was what belonging felt like, belonging to a family unit. She had always felt that way with Diane and Alex. Now that she and Alex were married, nobody could take that away from her.

* * *

Piper finished her cake and put the plate on the coffee table then tucked her feet beneath her. "So Diane, now that you are settled into your home, I'd like for you to think about when you'd like to start at Popi."

Diane gasped. "Is the storefront finished already? That was quick!"

"No, no," Piper laughed. "I'd like to show you the ropes on how the soaps are made. Then we are immediately adding in the lotion and candle line, so I'd like for you to be there when we teach the staff that so that we can all learn at once. If it's okay with you, I'd like for you to know all aspects of the business inside and out so that you can manage the store with confidence."

"Oh Piper, I'd love to learn anything you'd like to teach me. It has been so long since I've had a meaningful job with more purpose than refilling a coffee cup. I'm so tickled that you want me to be so involved with your business."

"Well Polly likes to think it's her business, too. But the way I figure, it's a family business. All of us." Piper leaned into Alex and kissed her gently on the cheek. "Now that business is over, I remember you once mentioned you had picture albums? I don't believe I ever got to see those albums."

Alex immediately reacted. "No Piper. No, no, no, no. It's bad enough with these pictures…" she motioned around the walls at all of the frames, "chronicling various stages of childhood and adolescence. But I don't want you to see  _everything_!"

Piper stuck out her lower lip and somehow got it to quiver on command. "But Al, we are  **family**  now. Please?" She looked up at her wife and batted her long eyelashes.

Alex sighed deeply. Unwrapping herself from her wife, she went to retrieve the albums. Diane quickly winked at Piper, knowing her daughter was firmly wrapped around Piper's pinky. Alex returned with one album.

" **ONE BOOK?** " Piper was aghast. "That's all I'm worth, one book?"

Alex grinned. "We have to make them last. One book a week after family dinner. Unless it's a special occasion, of course." Piper again stuck her lower lip out. "Hush Piper. No. You aren't winning. Now let's look at these. Ma, scoot over here. These are your stories. I wasn't exactly old enough to remember."

After Diane looked at the spine of the album, she glanced at Alex with a curious look on her face. Alex just slightly shook her head and motioned to the book. "Can I sit in the middle?" Both women moved over slightly to make room for the matriarch of the family.

"This album starts when Alex is about two years old." Diane flips open the first page to expose a few pictures of a strawberry blonde, chubby toddler with bright, inquisitive green eyes.

Piper squealed in delight. "Oh. My. Gosh. Alex you were adorable!"

Alex raised her trademark eyebrow. "So what does that say about me now?"

"Shush. Diane go on."

Diane continued and told stories about almost each of the pictures which revealed more and more of Alex's developing personality as a toddler. It was if Diane could remember each photo in vivid detail. Alex's second birthday party where she had strawberry cake and red balloons. Alex proudly holding onto the railing of a staircase with one hand and her mother's hand in the other as she practiced walking down stairs. Alex laying on hard kitchen floor with crayons making round scribbles and squiggly lines then posing next to her artwork on the refrigerator door. Building towers with blocks.

It seems that by about two and a half, Alex had become fairly adept at feeding herself – well sometimes. One of Piper's favorite pictures was of Diane trying to get Alex to take a bite of something. Her daughter's face was turned and screwed up in a look of utter disgust. "Peas," Alex said. "I still hate peas to this day."

There were lots of pictures of Alex and Diane hugging. Hugs seemed to be Alex's favorite activity at this age, next to the swings of course. The album slowly drifted into Alex at age 3 where she could apparently dress herself which was evident by the mismatched clothing which showed she also insisted on picking her clothes out herself as well.

Scattered throughout the album were pictures which showed Alex standing against various door frames with a mark denoting her height. "She was growing like a weed," Diane said. "We moved a lot, so the first thing we did whenever we moved into a place was to mark her height on the kitchen door and date it. That was our thing. She used to be tickled just by the whole process even if she didn't understand that we couldn't track how much she had grown from time to time."

It was apparent that Alex never had a lot of commercial toys. Rather her toys were a coffee can with its lid, an empty refrigerator box, a stick with a string… Regardless of what Alex had or didn't have, one thing was unmistakable. Young Alex was quite happy and extremely loved.

As Diane closed the album, she laid it on the coffee table and moved so that the couple could again wrap themselves up in each other again.

Piper was beaming from ear. "Dare I ask to see another album?"

Alex kissed her on the top of her head. "No babe. One a week or we will run out."

Turning to Diane, Piper spoke again. "Thank you so much Diane. Whenever I think know all there is to know about Alex Vause, you teach me more. I'm not sure I knew she had strawberry blond hair! I'll have to check the carpet tonight to see if matches the drapes."

"Piper!" Alex turned crimson as she shrank back into the couch. Piper just shrugged.

"Well, I've never noticed."

Ignoring the girls' behavior, Diane continued. "I will never tire of sharing memories of my baby girl. Sometimes it's the memories of how things start out that remind you of how lucky you are to be where you are today." Diane placed a loving hand on her daughter's long leg as she pushed herself up to her feet.

"I agree whole heartedly with you Diane. I have a shoe box at home where I keep a lot of my favorite Alex memories. I keep meaning to do something with them but never seem to have time."

Diane disappeared into the bedroom and came out with a large wrapped frame. "Piper, my second daughter, your memories are always important." She offered the object to her daughter-in-law.

"Ummm what's this Diane? We already discussed … no presents."

Alex softly punched Piper's shoulder. "Shush goof. Just open it."

As Piper gently tore off the wrapping paper, she shrieked in delight. "How DID you get these things?" Piper gave her wife a mock glare. There was so much to see that Piper was having a hard time taking it all in. The frame was a large shadow box. The matting had figures of two animals expertly cut out – a tegus lizard and a penguin. In the lower left corner, there was a date.

Piper eyes were glistening as she looked at Alex who nodded her head. "Our first date baby." Alex made air quotes with her fingers as she said the word date. It was a perpetual joke between the two on if that had really been a date when they both knew it had been.

The background inside the frame was the zoo map with little push pins representing all of the exhibits they visited along with tiny ammo cans where the two geocaches were. Affixed to the background were a few small items to include a ticket stub, a plastic ring with a large red ruby, and a smashed penny.

Piper took quite some time to take everything in. "Oh Diane. This is perfect. You are so creative. I could have never come up with something like this."

"I can't take credit for everything Piper. Alex helped with the design of the shadowbox and the illegal procurement of items from your shoe box. Do you really like it?"

"Diane! I can't believe you have to ask. I love it."

Alex was beaming at Piper's reaction. She pulled another bag she had been holding by her side and placed it in Piper's lap. "There's more babe." Piper's face had a puzzled look as she withdrew the contents of the bag. It held plastic album pages with slip in photo holders so that photos would not be damaged like in the old sticky pages of yesteryear. "We can start albums like Ma has. Now I'm not much of a scrap booker, but check this out."

Diane tapped on an app and handed Alex her iPad. All of the zoo pictures had been scanned in and organized into an album which had dates, captions, the works. "I know it's not the best, but it's a good start for us to collect all of our pictures. And this app syncs to SnapFish. If we want to make coffee table books, we just select the pictures we want and order the book."

Piper was speechless. For a moment. "When did you two have time for this? This must have taken hours. Diane – Alex – this is perfect. You two are perfect. Thank you so much." She jumped off the couch and grabbed mother and daughter and squeezed them both. "I love you both. I could have never asked for a better family."

"I think she liked it Ma."

"Me too, kid."

* * *

Alex and Piper finally said their goodbyes and left to make the short walk home. With her frame carefully tucked under one arm and Alex's hand gripped in the other, Piper tugged Alex off course slightly. Alex was still high from Piper's reaction and followed willingly.

As they reached the fountain, Piper pulled slightly on Alex's hand to bring them to a halt. Realizing where Piper had taken them, Alex took the frame from Piper and gently leaned it against a nearby park bench. She knowingly wrapped her arms around Piper and whispered into her ear. "It's so beautiful at night, the fountain."

The two simply stood and stared at the fountain and the changing lights on the statue. The lights on the statue turned orange. "Playful," Piper whispered. The lights turned yellow. " _Happy_." Green. " _Stable_." Alex tightened her hold on her spouse. The next color to splash on the statue was blue. " _Serene_ ," was Piper's response.

Before the lights changed again, Alex spoke. "Trustworthy. I'm glad you trusted me our first night here." The lights changed to their final color, purple. " _Romance_."

In a repeat of their first night, Alex reached into her pocket and pulled out two coins. "Do you believe in wishes and dreams Piper?" Piper selected a coin, kissed it and tossed it in the water the same time as Alex. The trickles of the fountain were the only noise as they stood.

Piper pushed back slightly and looked up at Alex. Alex ran one hand up to Piper's neck, entangling her hand in the blonde's hair. Piper's breath hitched tentatively in anticipation as she reached for Alex's mouth. The instant their lips touched, Alex froze relishing in the sweetness. Despite the familiarity, each time she kissed Piper felt like the first time. She then held Piper's face with her other hand, tilting her head back slightly and pressed her lips against Piper's more firmly. Piper's hands ran up Alex's back pulling them yet closer. Alex gently sucked Piper's lower lip into her mouth and released it then covered Piper's mouth with her own, kissing her over and over.

Alex was still holding Piper's face in her hands when Alex finally broke the kiss. Piper stretched up and kissed Alex again. "Yes Alex, I definitely believe in wishes and dreams. I have to since my wish that first night here came true… along with my wildest dreams. I love you Al."

Collecting the frame, Alex wrapped her arm around Piper again and they made their way to their apartment.

* * *

Piper retreated to the bathroom first to ready for bed. Alex's phone buzzed almost immediately. She smiled jubilantly as she read the message sent from the next room.

_Best. Kiss. Ever. -P  
I concur. Best. Kiss. Ever. -A_


	12. When Pieces Fall Into Place

Piper snuggled up to Alex in bed, wrapping her arms around the black haired woman's waist. She gently tugged at Alex's side to get her to roll over and face her. "You know I was just kidding about the carpet and drapes thing, right? I know you dye your hair silly." She kissed the tip of Alex's nose.

Alex rolled her eyes. "I just can't believe you said that in front of my mom, for crying out loud. How embarrassing." Alex's voice was stern, but the twinkle in her eye let Piper know she was kidding.

"Thanks for sharing your family pictures with me Alex. I could have never dreamed how adorable you were growing up despite seeing all the other pictures your mother has on her walls. I can't believe she knew the story behind each picture."

"You have to remember, Pipes; I am all she has. We sort of grew up together if you think about it, her having me at such a young age. She did everything in her power to put a roof over our heads and food into our bellies. I'm just glad we are now in a position to repay her."

"Can I ask you a question Al?"

Alex turned back over and snuggled into Piper. "You just did."

"Smart ass." Piper swatted Alex on her butt. "There was a number on the back of that album. A two. And it covered ages two through four. What happened to album one and the first two years of your life? Was that one lost?"

Alex took in a deep breath and tensed slightly. "I didn't think you would notice. Thanks for not calling me out in front of mom."

Piper crawled over Alex so she could see Alex's eyes. "I'm sorry to pry. If it's not my business…I get that."

"Everything about me is your business Piper. You are my wife." Alex stilled and tried to let the tension ease out of her body as Piper cupped her hands around Alex's face.

"You don't have to get into it straightaway babe. I can wait."

"No. Now is a good of time as any." Alex steadied herself then looked at Piper. "I'm not sure why mom keeps those pictures."

"Of you as a baby? Alex! Why would you say such a thing?"

"No Pipes. Of him. My sperm donor." Alex thought a few moments, choosing her words carefully before continuing. "I shouldn't call him that, but I still get incredibly angry at him. My mother was so in love with him. She used to tell me stories about how they met and how he swept her off her feet. But the moment he found out she was pregnant, he disappeared, never to be heard from again. She _never_ deserved that and he didn't deserve her."

"The pictures of him in that album, I used to try to get rid of them. I soon learned that they were non-negotiables for my mom. She wanted to see them. To see my father. She wanted to tell me stories of him, how he was this famous rock star and how some day he'd come back for us. Bullshit." Alex shoved Piper away a little harder than she meant to and flopped over on her back.

Piper scooted right back to Alex, laying her head on Alex's chest. "I'm sorry babe. I didn't know."

"How could you know? I never told you."

"Someday there will be a day for album one. But can it wait babe? I don't think I'm ready for it yet."

Piper nodded her head against Alex's chest and squeezed tight, pouring all the love she could muster into her spouse to help heal the little girl's heart that had just broken over again.

* * *

"Graduation? Whhaaaaaaaaaaaat? You mean you are letting us out on our own Stella?"

"That's what I mean bitches. You have mastered the majority of the tricks with the plastic bottles and done pretty damned good with the glass ones. There isn't anything else I can teach you. You have to find your own routine and rhythm. I can't teach you that. If I did, it would be me and not you. And flipping bottles is about you. Your style. It has to come from here." Stella tapped her chest.

Poussey, Taystee, and Nicky were all dancing around the classroom, whooping like banshees.

"I've talked to Alex and given her some ideas. You three can work with her on how you want to roll this out at Alley's. Now there is just one last thing before you get your certificate."

Taystee groaned. "Damn Ninja Turtle. You got us all excited. What now?"

Stella grinned and pulled up four bottles of alcohol – fire hot schnapps, tequila, rum, and vodka. She slammed them on the bar. She handed each woman a single die. "Highest roll gets to choose alcohol and flipping order. Final test ladies. Roll your die on three. One, two, three."

There was a cacophony of hoots and howls and the bartenders saw their fate on the numbered cubes. Stella reached under the bar and came up with a set of four glasses. She placed the first glass closest to the middle of the girls. She stacked two more glasses, one atop each other in the three and six o'clock positions respectively.

Stella grabbed the schnapps and placed it across the knuckles of her hand. She pulled her wrist towards herself and executed a single flip, caught the bottle and poured down into the three stacked glasses and continued the pour into her own shot glass off to the side.

Poussey watched her every move with wide eyes. "Damn teach, you didn't show us how to stack glasses like that. That's fucking dope." She slapped Taystee's open palm. "I think we need a few more lessons." 

Stella winked and responded. "Nope! A woman never tells all her tricks." Everyone took their glass, toasted and downed the fiery liquid. "Once you start flipping for real, you'll learn more than I could ever teach you."

In turn, Alley's bartenders selected their order and alcohol and performed their trick – each trying to outdo the other while not flubbing up and dropping a bottle or missing a pour. After the last had performed without incident, Stella distributed certificates and pronounced them graduated.

* * *

The UPS delivery driver knocked on the original upstairs door at Popi's. This was still their delivery address despite their expansion. As most of their orders were ingredients and supplies and needed to be carted up the stairs anyhow, Polly decided this was best. Sophie checked the boxes from the order form and signed for the delivery.

As the driver turned to go back down the stairs, Sophie swatted him on the ass. He turned, his face showing his shock of being fondled by a six-foot-tall trans-woman. "You're cute, you know boy. If you ever get lonely, you know where to find me. I'll keep you company."

The young driver stuttered out an "ooo-oo-kay ma'am," then turned to rush down the stairs.

"You really shouldn't do that to him every time Sophia." Daya was opening the boxes to ensure things were not damaged.

Sophia was beautiful so she knew could get away with it. "But it's so much fun to watch him get so flustered. Besides, the things I could do with that young thing." She laughed and went across the hallway to the office. Knocking on the frame of the opened doorway, she called out to Piper. "Delivery for you lady. Daya and I aren't sure where to put this stuff."

A confused Piper crossed the hallway to see what Daya was unpacking. When she saw the cases of lotion bottles and the new molds for the smaller sized soaps and candles, she began squealing with delight. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. This is really happening. I have to call Polly!"

Piper whipped her phone her pocket and punched a few numbers. "POLLY! It's here. Everything's here. The bottles and the new molds." Piper paused. "No I haven't inspected the molds yet. I wanted to tell you!" Piper paused again and frowned slightly. "Yeah, Polly, I understand. Got it. See you in the morning."

"Damn, what was that about girl? Why you so droopy eyed now?" Daya finished the unpacking and was breaking down the larger boxes so they wouldn't take up so much room in storage. "Polly is a stick in the mud sometimes."

"No guys, she's not. She just reminded me to not be so excited until everything has been inspected and the test runs pan out. She's just the 'level-headed' one." Piper made air-quotes with her fingers when she said level-headed.

She found the package containing the dies. Despite approving the dies before they were cast, she looked them over very carefully then compared them to the molds. Seeing no flaws, she proclaimed them ready for a test run. "The first batch probably won't come out nice because the molds need to be seasoned. So let's slather them in cocoa butter then use slag soap that's in the bottom of some of the crocks to see what the soaps will look like. Let's get Diane up here so the three of you can work out how these molds work and she can get some more practice pouring molds."

Soon the Sophia, Diane, and Daya were filling up the new molds with random mixtures of soap they had created that day. As they clamped the last one shut, Diane went across the hallway to let Piper know they were finished.

While the soaps were curing in their molds, the rest of the afternoon was spent with Piper showing the women the much simpler processes for lotion and candles. Since the flavors were all vanilla, they were all in the original work space. Piper had just cleared out some extra working space so a suitable area could be determined.

The next afternoon, the mini soaps were ready to be unmolded and checked for deformities and consistency. Several bottles of lotion had been funneled into the containers and were ready for labeling. The small candle molds were stock size and would be ready for unmolding later that day as well.

Piper joined Sophia, Daya, and Diane for the unmolding of the first batch of soaps. Collectively they held their breaths as Piper gently shook the soaps out onto the soft surface. Each bar was examined. Despite a few rough edges caused by the new molds, the soaps were perfect. Cheers erupted around the group. Piper was grinning from ear to ear. Each woman claimed some of the little bars to take home since they were unusable for inventory.

"So now comes the hard part ladies. We have to ramp up production until we have enough product to not only open our storefront and fulfill the Founder's Inn first order, we also have to keep up with other orders as well. I don't want to bring on any new staff right now. Would any of you be interested in working overtime? Diane, I know you are salaried, but this is a special case and I'll pay you extra. There are also some kitchen staff from Alley's that I'll see if they want extra work."

Daya looked at Piper curiously. "What about Poussey and Taystee? They trained us and know how to do everything."

"They are a little busy right now and there are some things about to happen with them at the bar. Maybe after that calms down a little, they will have some time. If nothing else, they are good for entertainment value, right?"

* * *

The bartenders were back at Alley's meeting with Alex about how to fit in the grand opening of flair bartending. Nicky pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket and tossed it on the table. "Remember this night boss?"

Alex unfolded the wadded up paper to reveal a flyer from one of their successful "special theme nights", one she had no knowledge of before it started.

_One Night Special Engagement  
_ _Penny's Penguin Pen Presents  
_ _Flash Forward Friday  
_ _Music from the Current Decade_

"Prior to the Food Network she-bang, that was our most profitable night ever, by at least 30%. I admit it was a good idea Nicky. So what about another theme night? Just one to get this flair thing started?"

The women tossed around some ideas then Nicky slapped the table around which they were seated. "I've got it! This is a 70's and 80's bar, right? Damn, isn't it obvious?" Everyone just stared at the crazy haired mad woman.

Nicky got up, acted like she was popping up the non-existent collar of her shirt and pulled invisible sunglasses from her pocket settling said non-existent glasses on her nose.

_I got a gal, named Sue, she knows just what to do  
_ _I got a gal, named Sue, she knows just what to do  
_ _She rock to the East, she rock to the West  
_ _She is the gal that I love best_

_Tutti frutti, oh rutti  
_ _Tutti frutti, oh rutti  
_ _Wop bop a loo bop a lop ba ba!_

Everyone looked at her blankly as she sang on the top of her lungs. "Ummmm come on girls, Tom Cruise? Cocktail? Geez, tough crowd."

Realization hit Poussey and Taystee and they started to get excited. "Nicky you are a genius! That's one of the top cult movies of the 80's." Now that they had a theme, the bartenders settled down to decide on a plan for the grand "flip" opening.

* * *

Delicious smells wafted in the air as Piper made her way up the two stories to hers and Alex's flat. She opened the door to find Alex in the kitchen, food, bowls, and implements spread out over the cabinets and island. Piper slipped her arms around Alex from behind to give her a strong hug. "What's this?"

Alex turned around to smile at the blonde woman now standing in front of her. "Can't a wife cook dinner for her wife? You know – the domestic thing and all?"

"Sure, it's just a shock." Piper reached around to the counter, snagged a grape and popped it into her mouth. "But it's a nice surprise. Who would have thought – big bad bar owner Alex Vause, married  _and_  domesticated."

Alex rolled her eyes and went back to her cooking. While the final preparations were being made, the two women chatted about the day. Piper was so bubbly happy about the success of the new molds and Alex was having a hard time keeping the secret about the flair opening. The bartenders had decided that only three of the regulars would know – that everyone else would be surprised, Piper included.

Piper set the table as dinner was almost ready. As they sat to eat, she gathered Alex's hands and brought them to her lips, kissing each finger and then her palms. Piper took a deep breath and released a happy sigh. "Things are really working out for us Alex. Your bar, my company, your mom, everything. I couldn't ask for more in my life right now Al."

"Me either Pipes. Me either."


	13. Cocktail Time

Piper always looked forward to "Diane Night" as she affectionately called it. Diane was the kind, loving mother that Piper was never fortunate enough to have. Piper and her own mother had a falling out right around the time Piper graduated college. Piper didn't even remember what the falling out was about really, but it was most likely centered around Carol being a raging alcoholic who was verbally and emotionally abusive. Yes, Piper missed her own blood family, but the family she had now was perfect.

Alex and Piper had decided to cook dinner at Diane's. This was their way of surprising her with new kitchen implements – a new set of pots and pans, knives, the works. Diane always resisted the gifts Alex showered on her despite knowing her daughter had nothing but good intention. Diane was working overtime at Popi's to finish up the initial bed and breakfast order, so the couple would be able to greet her with a home cooked meal. Not only that, she couldn't insist the presents be returned since they would already be used.

One of Piper's favorite meals to prepare was actually quite simple – steak, smashed potatoes, and salad. Piper went shopping for all of the ingredients while Alex met the delivery truck and set about washing the new kitchen tools. When Piper arrived with the groceries, she set Alex to the task of chopping up the vegetables for the salad. Piper dropped the new potatoes into the boiling water. The steaks were salted and allowed to come to temperature.

With both of them working together, the prep work was quickly completed. Alex poured them each a glass of wine as they relaxed on the couch. Piper was curled under Alex's arm with her legs drawn up. "How's the ramp-up on new orders going? The lotion, candles, and mini-soaps?" Alex kissed Piper on the top of her head before taking another sip of wine.

Piper snuggled a bit closer to Alex. "It's going great. We could use a few more hands. I know you said the girls were working on a project for Alley's. But will you let them know that they have some overtime across the street anytime they want it."

Alex grinned at the mention of the  _project_. "Speaking of that, what are you plans Saturday?" Piper shrugged her shoulders indicating nothing. "Good. Plan to be at Alley's then." Piper tried to get Alex to explain some, but Alex wasn't giving away any hints as to what would be happening Saturday.

After a bit of relaxing in silence, footsteps up the stairs announced the arrival of Diane. Alex met her mom at the door with a glass of wine. "Hi mom. Surprise! How about a home cooked meal for Mom Night?"

Diane smiled warmly at her daughter and daughter in law. She took the wine and drained a third of it. "I'm exhausted. It sounds wonderful. Just let me change out of the clothes, and you can put me to work in the kitchen."

Piper was already at the prep space in the kitchen. "No need Mom. It'll almost be ready when you come out."

Alex and Diane froze and looked at each other. "What did you say Pipes?" Alex asked incredulously.

"I said dinner will be ready soon."

"No, what did you call Mom?"

Piper worried her lower lip with her teeth. "Ummm Mom. Is that okay?"

Diane went around the bar and wrapped her arms around Piper. "Of  _course_  that's okay Piper. I just wasn't expecting it." Diane fought off the tears as she went back to change.

Alex wrapped her arms around Piper, kissing her neck. "I think you just made her extremely happy. She thinks of you as another daughter, you know."

Piper just smiled. Yes, this family suited her just fine.

* * *

"Piper, that was the most delicious steak I have ever had, even counting the high dollar ones at the fancy restaurants." Diane pushed her chair back from the table. "Melted in my mouth. You are an amazing chef!"

Beaming with the praise, Piper declared, "Well I've had your cooking, too, Diane. It's nothing to shake a stick at. Maybe we need to start cooking together more often."

Diane got up to begin clearing the table. Alex placed a hand on her mother's shoulder. "No Mom. This is your night. Just relax. Pour another glass of wine. Piper cooked, I'll clean."

Piper and Diane were able to get caught up on Popi business and decided that they were on pace to get the orders filled on time. Piper clapped her hands excitedly. "This means we are on track to open the store front in four weeks. Oh Diane. I'm so excited. You are the best."

After Alex cleaned up after dinner, she disappeared and came back with another album. "Album Three," she proclaimed. "Years 4 and 5."

In these pictures, Alex was definitely becoming increasingly slender as the baby fat melted away. Her hair was turning closer to light red than strawberry blond. One thing that remained consistent were her eyes. Those piercing green eyes that seemed to be able to look into your soul at any age.

One picture showed Alex sitting at a kitchen table with an elderly woman. Piper could tell that the woman was leaned forward, listening intently to Alex's story. "That was our neighbor that helped watch Alex when I worked late. Piper, Alex loved to talk. She always had stories to tell – real and make-believe. And conversations with adults were her favorite. She always said that kids her age were boring." Piper laughed.

Pictures continued of Alex making art, cooking with her baby sitter and her mom and sitting in her mom's lap as her mom read to her out of various books. If nothing, the love between mother and daughter was always evident.

The marks on the doorway continued throughout this album and somewhere midway through age five, Alex was standing on a set of front steps, looking down at the ground sheepishly holding a big brown paper bag. "This was Alex's first day of Kindergarten. I didn't have money for a backpack, so her lunch went in the sack along with her school supplies." Diane turned the page and pointed to the next page which showed Alex posing with a new purple backpack. "But the school was kind enough to get her a bag so she could be just like everyone else."

The pictures in this album ended way too soon for Piper and soon it was time for them to make their way home to their own apartment. Before leaving, Alex extracted a promise from Diane that she, too, would be at the bar on Saturday night.

Alex and Piper walked home hand in hand. "You sure were a cute kid Alex. What happened?" Piper loved teasing Alex who sometimes took the bait.

"Just wait Pipes. Just wait. Someday I'm going to get my hands on  _your_ baby pictures."

Piper chortled. "Fat chance at that. Carol probably has burned them all." She had told Alex bits and pieces about her family but never the entire story at once. Alex knew enough not to ask.

"Hmmm," Alex murmured. "We'll see."

* * *

It was Saturday night and Alley's was packed. Everyone – patrons and employees – were in their routine. Piper was on her regular stool with Diane sitting next to her. Suddenly the music in the bar came to a screeching halt as the three bartenders crawled atop the bar top. At some point in the moments before doing so, each had donned a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt and aviator sunglasses.

Nicky began to speak at the top of her lungs. "We are the last bar-women poets." She motioned to herself, Taystee and Poussey. "I see you drinking the fabulous cocktails we make, getting stinky on something we stir or shake."

Taystee picked up next. "The sex on the beach, the schnapps made from peach, The Velvet Hammer, the Alabama Slamma!" The crowd was cheering at this point at the mention of every drink. "We make things with juice and froth: the Pink Squirrel, the 3-Toed Sloth."

Poussey stretched out the words in her verses. "We make drinks so sweet and snazzy: The Iced Tea, The Kamikaze, The Orgasm, The Death Spasm, The Singapore Sling, The Dingaling." At that one, all three bartenders rolled their eyes and made a disgusting face. "Regulars and new patrons alike, you've just been devoted to every flavor we've got."

The three all ended the poem together, screaming. " **But if you want to get loaded, why don't you just order a shot? Bar is open.** "

While the crowd had been distracted with the bartender antics, several of the other bartenders and bar backs had been busy hanging fabulous flashback style posters and putting drink special signs on each table. Specialty mixed drinks were on one side and specialty shots on the other. The poster's layout was similar to the 1988 Cocktail poster with Tom Cruise. All three bartenders were posed in black button down shirts, no smiles. Poussey and Taystee were leaning, one hand each, on the bar while Nicky stood between them, arms crossed. The edging was reminiscent of pink neon tubes and their names were surrounding the Cocktail logo.

Three of the regulars had been provided with Hawaiian shirts and aviator sunglasses, and they had snuck those on during the poetry blast. "All Shook Up"by Ry Cooder blasted through the speakers. As the bartenders positioned themselves in front of the regulars, each one placed the same order for four Kamikaze shots. The bartenders did a coordinated flip show for the first order, each mixing and pouring four shots simultaneously, as everyone watched and shouted their approval. As the song continued, the special drink orders came flying in.

Tonight's set list was pure  _Cocktail_  sound track. All the songs were off of the original sound track. One of the bar backs even passed out cheap plastic shades with Alley's printed on one side. There was absolutely zero room at the bar, utter chaos – albeit somehow organized. Eventually Piper and Diane moved upstairs to open up a few more feet of bar space, but where they could still have a good viewing vantage. Things got so crazy and loud that Piper and Diane soon made their way out the door and to their respective apartments knowing Alex wouldn't mind, if she even noticed they were gone!

Since Poussey and Taystee were such good friends, they had practiced doing flips where they tossed each other bottles. Nicky was prepared for them to do this and had been working on several routines to make sure that they did not outshine her. While they were proficient in working spins back and forth, Nicky had taught herself to juggle the spinning bottles which was quite an impressive feat in itself.

Nobody could say that these women hadn't done their homework and practiced their routines until flawless.

* * *

Nicky came storming into Alex's office. "Damn boss! Tonight rocked. You have no idea how much money is stuffed in our tip jars. I don't know about Taystee and Poussey but I had to empty out my jar three times tonight. Setting a higher price on the specialty drinks was a good idea, too. I don't think anyone minded or even noticed. You are going to make a killing!" Nicky was chattering a hundred miles an hour.

It made Alex happy to know that not only was the night a success but that the staff was tickled, too. "Everything closed up?"

"Yup. Oh and Justin Bieber is here, too."

"Staff meeting then to debrief if everyone is as hyped as you."

Alex knew Stella was going to be there tonight to watch her graduates. She let Stella sing their praises first before conducting her own meeting with the bartenders and Luschek. She wanted to allow everyone a chance to voice their feelings about the evening. Luckily Alex had nothing to worry about as there were all smiles around the table.

"The more fired up the front of the house is, the busier the kitchen is. So no complaints from the back of the house." Luschek was always happen when the kitchen made bank.

Alex retreated to her office. With as much money that was brought in, she wanted to get the numbers in shape and the deposit ready for Monday. Alex didn't want to take a chance of a break-in taking away their hard earned profit. While she knew she had to get this done, she was exhausted from just watching her girls work. Most of her evening was spent doing bar back work ensuring everything stayed stocked and the glass was clean. She made a mental note to bring on more support staff for the front of the house on their specialty nights.

Nicky poked her head back into the office. "Oh yeah boss, some old rocker dude dropped this off for you." She handed Alex a plain brown wrapped package and a letter. "Seems like more memorabilia for the walls. Want me to find a space for it?"

"Let me check it out first. I can leave it for you to take care of tomorrow. Thanks Nic. Good job tonight."

Alex ran her finger under the tape on the backside of the package, loosening the adhesive all around the rectangle. She unwrapped the paper. When she turned the frame over, her face blanched as she froze. Staring. Soon a red hue crept up her chest and neck, reaching her face showing her distress.

Alex stood as she wadded up the envelope containing the letter and shoved it into her jeans pocket. She took one last look at the framed picture before hurling it against the wall.

Storming out of the office, she said nothing to her staff who were staring at their normally calm boss who had apparently lost her cool. Alex grabbed the bottle of tequila the staff had been celebrating with and stomped out of the bar.

Poussey looked at Nicky. "What'd you do to the boss lady woman?"

Nicky shrugged and went back to the office. She found the item that had been in the package and gently removed the shards of glass from the broken front. Walking back to the front, she looked at her friends. "Who the fuck is  _Death Maiden_?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The poem recited by the bartenders before Cocktail Night began was called The Last Barman Poet. It was recited by character Brian Flanigan from the classic 1988 movie Cocktail starring Tom Cruise.
> 
> P.S. What could possibly go wrong? Right? Tell me, did you see that coming?


	14. How Long?

Alex deposited the empty tequila bottle in the park trash can. She steadied herself slightly on the metal structure before stumbling towards her and Piper's apartment.

She searched her pockets to no avail for the key to the outer door to the ground level entry. Finally, she leaned on a buzzer and wailed, "Pippppppppperrrrrrr. Piper I can't find my key. Buzz me up." She held the buzzer down again.

The downstairs door flew open to reveal a very pissed off Gladys. "Alex Vause! What are you doing? Do you know what time it is?"

Alex slumped against the open door jamb, head hanging down. "I lost my key."

"So you said Alex. I think everyone in the building knows. You stink. Where is your wife?"

Alex began to sniffle. "I don't know Gladys. I can't find my key."

Gladys rolled her eyes and briefly returned to her apartment returning with her grandson. "Lucky for you, my grandson moved in with me. I believe you know Billy. He's going to help you upstairs  **again.** What are you going to do if you pull this when he's not here Alex?" Gladys rolled her eyes and motioned for her grandson to help Alex up the stairs.

Encouraging Alex to climb the stairs was not very fruitful, so he pretty much had to carry Alex up the stairs. By the time he knocked on the door, Piper was dressed and waiting. "Gladys rang up. Thanks for dragging her up here Billy. We really should meet up sometime when she's sober! I'll make her take care of you at Alley's."

Billy just frowned. "Where do you want her?" It seemed like Alex had spilled as much tequila as she had drunk and she reeked pretty badly. So Piper had him just deposit her on the couch. Before he left the apartment, he turned back to Billy. "Oh and Piper, Granny said she wanted another bag of your smelly-good soaps, she called them. Maybe you should double the size this time."

Piper nodded at Billy as he retreated back downstairs to his comfy bed. She propped Alex up there while she went to get a shirt. She easily changed Alex's shirt but when she tried to get Alex's skinny jeans off, they were not budging from her hips. So Piper did the best she could to make Alex comfortable by pulling off her boots and emptying her pockets.

Piper pulled out Alex's cell phone, her "lost" keys, and a crumpled sheet of paper. Curious, Piper straightened out the letter the best she could.

_Alex,_

_I know you probably don't want anything to do with me, but I know I needed to try. Writing it all in a letter is a cop out so I'm asking if you'd meet me someplace so we can talk. I have a lot to tell you and I'm sure you have an earful for me as well. Anyway, here's my number. Let me know._

_Lee Burley_

Piper was in utter shock. While Piper knew very little about Alex's birth father, she was positive that Alex held a lot of resentment towards him. Him appearing out of the blue must have been a shock.

She softly grazed Alex's cheek with her fingers and kissed her forehead as she pulled the blanket over her wife. "Whatever it is, we can survive this together. I love you Alex."

* * *

The next morning, Piper could tell that Alex was not going to budge from the couch anytime soon. It was well after 4 am when she had gotten home, and this is definitely a drunk she needed to sleep off. Piper left a tall glass of water and three ibuprofen on the coffee table where Alex could see them when she woke up. She then wrote her a quick note to let her know she had gone into work.

Piper had purchased a fancy coffee maker for the shop as she and everyone seemed to live on caffeine. But because she needed a little more time to think before going to work, she ran by the coffee shop anyhow to pick up pastries. Piper wasn't quite sure how to address what she knew she needed to when she got to work, but it couldn't be avoided.

Everyone was busy working upon her arrival. She deposited all the pastries in the workroom except for two then asked Diane to join her across the hall. Diane had a somber look on her face as they went into the office. Piper rarely closed the office door, so Alex's mom knew immediately something was going on.

"He showed up at the bar last night, didn't he?" Diane lowered her eyes and wouldn't look at Piper.

Piper was floored. When she gathered her thoughts enough to regain her voice, she spoke. "Wait, you knew? You knew he was in town?" Diane nodded. Piper reached over and grasped her mother-in-law's hand. "Mom, look at me. Tell me what's going on."

"Oh Piper. I asked him to wait, to let me prepare her for him being here. I can't believe he went there anyway. She must be devastated."

"Frankly I'm not sure devastated is the word I'd use Diane. She came home last night so drunk she could barely walk. She is still sleeping it off on the couch."

Diane shoved her chair back and began to pace in the small space. "I'm truly sorry Piper. You know I would never ever intentionally put my daughter in any type of emotional distress."

"Why don't you start from the beginning?"

Diane took her seat again and began to talk."

* * *

Alex groaned as she woke up to light streaming into the living room. "Fuck!" She immediately scrunched her eyes shut to block out the offensive light. Even the vibration from her cursing caused the pain in her head to intensify to say nothing of the crick in her neck from her night on the couch.

Eventually Alex was able to pull herself to a sitting position. She grabbed the pain killers and gulped them down with the entire glass of water. She fumbled to put on her glasses so she could read Piper's note then took them off again. She fell back on the couch, exhausted but no longer intoxicated. She was, however, extremely hungover.

Alex's bladder was about to explode, so she managed to draw herself up and stumbled to the bathroom. She splashed water on her face and did her best to pull her hair back. As she tottered her way back to the couch, she saw where Piper had emptied her pockets of her cell phone, keys, and crumpled letter. The letter. FUCK! The reason for her night of binge drinking hit her like a ton of bricks. Lee Fucking Burley. That bastard had nerve showing up in this town and in her bar.

* * *

Piper quietly entered the apartment to see the crumpled blanket laying on the couch. She placed the bags of take out on the kitchen bar and went in search of Alex. She found her curled up on Piper's side of the bed, tightly holding Piper's pillow.

Piper laid down on Alex's side of the bed and wrapped her arms tenderly around her wife. She scooted as close as she could so that she could kiss Alex's cheek and hold her. Soon Alex stirred, opening her eyes to see Piper staring at her.

"Hey."

"Hey back. You okay?"

Alex shook her head and wriggled her body around so her back was against Piper's front. "Hold me?"

Piper pulled Alex into her and was quiet as Alex laid in their bed.

"He's here Pipes. In town."

"I know babe."

"How did he find me? Oh god, I need to call mom. She's going to be so distraught. I can't let him do this to her again." Alex tried to pull herself up but Piper tightened her arms around her wife.

"Alex. No. Don't go."

Alex quickly flipped over, eyes wild. "What? Piper? What!? Did she know? Did my mom know he is here?" Piper was silent. "Pipes, talk to me. Tell me!"

"Babe, I'm not sure it's my story to tell." Piper could tell that this new knowledge upset Alex. She sighed deeply. "I talked to your mom this morning. Don't be mad at her Al. She tried to get him to wait until she talked to you. She's pretty upset that he didn't."

"Well I'm pretty upset that he's even fucking here." Alex flipped over to her back. "He can go back to hell for all I care. I'm  **not**  meeting him."

Piper knew enough to be quiet and keep her opinions to herself while Alex was being bad-tempered. "I brought lunch. Why don't we get some food into your stomach?"

* * *

"I can **not**  believe you went by the bar Lee." Diane was trying to keep her voice even and calm. "I asked you to wait and let me be the buffer." Diane paused as the man on the other end of the phone spoke.

Her voice raised in volume. "Lee, wait just a damned minute. You have  **no**  claim on Alex as your blood kin not to mention as your daughter. You were **never** her father. Do you know what she calls you? The sperm donor.  **That's** how my baby feels about you. Your little stunt last night may have cost you any chance with Alex."

Diane again listened, her blood boiling. "I'll see what I can do Lee. No promises. Do not go by there again. I'm warning you, or it's over."

* * *

Nicky was wiping down tables when Poussey and Taystee came in. All three stopped to do a quick shimmy and shake as they celebrated the previous night. "Girls… what are you doing here? It's your day off."

"Yours, too, Nic."

"Piper texted me this morning and said boss lady wasn't feeling well. Asked if I would open for her. Who am I to say no?"

Taystee looked at Nicky seriously. "Not feeling well, eh? Hungover as hell I'm sure if she finished off that bottle of tequila like I'm sure she did."

"Before we get into the serious shit, how about last night? Are you two still on the high that I'm on?" Poussey was grinning from ear to ear.

"Hell yeah. I found a surprise in my tip jar when I got home." Nicky polished her nails on her shirt. "Know that redhead I've had my eye on forever? She left her number dude. Dude! I'm so pumped. Now I'm like a kid again and don't know how long I should wait before I text her. So P, what serious shit are you talking about?"

Poussey crawled up on a barstool. "So that band from last night.  _Death Maiden._  The one that had boss lady all upset?" Nicky nodded. Taystee had obviously already heard the news. "I did some background on the band. If I remember the guy that came in right, he was the drummer – Lee Burley. Now I don't know this for sure, but the dates and time frame work out. But I think he's Alex's dad." Poussey paused to let that soak in.

"Her dad? What the fuck! Alex doesn't have a dad, does she?"

Taystee gave her a small shove in the chest. "We all have dad's dumb ass. There was only one instance of immaculate conception and I don't think it was Alex Vause."

"So yeah. I think that's why she took off like a banshee."

Nicky ran her hands through her mop of hair. "Dayyyyyyyyyum that's some serious shit. If it's true, he had a lot of nerve just showing up here. If he thinks he can just waltz into her life and shred it into a million pieces, he's wrong."

The bartenders chatted a bit more before Poussey and Taystee took their leave. They had made a pact to circle the wagons around Alex. As much as they all teased each other, they were a fiercely loyal group of employees.

* * *

With her hands on the wall, Alex ducked her hand down between her arms. The scorching hot water scalded her back as it beat out the rest of the alcohol from her pores. She was trying to use the pain of the water on her skin to remove the pain in her heart. She stood still in the water until it flowed cold, closing her pores.

Alex finally shut off the water and used her hands to wring some of the water out of her jet black hair. She blindly reached out for the large fluffy towel hanging on the hook next to the shower door. Blotting off her skin, she looked at her face in the mirror and saw the stress of the night before lingering in and below her eyes.

Despite having spent close to an hour in the water, Alex's mind was still spinning. While she was flabbergasted that Lee was in town, she was even more so that her mother knew and didn't warn her. At this point, Alex felt hurt more than anything.

After dressing, she dragged herself into the living area where Piper was patiently waiting on her. "Hey babe. Did the shower help?" Alex shrugged as she sat on a stool and motioned for a cup of coffee from the third pot they had plowed through today.

"Thanks for being here for me Piper." Piper nodded. "Is mom at work today? I think I need to talk to her."

"Are you sure that's a wise idea right now Al? You still seem pretty upset."

Alex glared at her wife. "You think? Hell yeah I'm upset. My mother is my best friend, and she  **betrayed** me." Alex's voice began to rise. "How would you feel if I deceived you like this Piper?"

"Whoa, whoa there Al. Chill. It's not Diane's fault. She asked him to wait until she had a chance to talk to you."

"You just don't get it. She KNEW Piper. She KNEW he was here and didn't tell me. How long has she known Piper?" At this point, Alex was standing, seemingly ready to strike out at something, anything to let out her obvious anger.

"This isn't my story to tell Alex. Calm down and then we can go talk to Diane together."

"No Piper. Tell me. HOW. LONG. HAS. SHE. KNOWN?" Piper had never ever seen Alex this angry. She wasn't afraid  _of_  Alex, but she was afraid  _for_ Alex. She wasn't sure how stable Alex was nor what she would do if she saw her mom.

Taking a deep breath, Piper stood and put her face right into Alex's. "Alex Vause. Take a deep breath. Calm the fuck down. We are talking about Diane. Your mother. The woman who gave birth to you, worked countless jobs to put a roof over your head and food in your belly as you were growing up. You need to calm down or you aren't leaving this apartment.

Piper rose the volume of her voice. "You will  **not**  say anything to your mother or do anything to upset her or you will have to answer to me. And you don't want to do that. Once you  _do_  talk to your mother, you will be kind. You will be cordial. You will be understanding. Don't test me Alex Vause. I will fight tooth and nail for your mother."

When Piper finally stopped her rampage, Alex's shoulder's slumped down as all the air left her sails.

Piper was breathing hard after screaming at her wife. Her heart was beating out of her chest as she realized that she had never ever yelled at Alex before. She immediately wrapped her arms around Alex. "Oh my god Al. I am so sorry. I did not mean to yell at you like that."

"It's okay Piper; I deserved it. I was literally seeing red. And you are right. It's my mom we are talking about and she deserves a chance to explain herself to me and for me to listen with love and respect." Alex wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thanks love."

* * *

Alex dialed the phone and waited for the voice on the other end to answer. "Mom, it's Alex. Can we do dinner?" … "Yeah Piper will be there." … "Yeah Mom. I'm okay. Thanks. See you there."


	15. Decisions

Piper made a wide berth around her wife the rest of the afternoon giving her some space to get her thoughts together. Piper left the apartment a little while and returned with a few bags of groceries. As she was prepping dinner, Alex came stomping into the kitchen. "What are you doing? We are meeting Mom for dinner." Alex was definitely grumpy despite having some time on her own.

"Ummm no Al. There is no way we are meeting with your mom in public. I don't trust you to keep your cool. I talked to Diane. She's coming here." Piper waved the wooden spoon she was using in Alex's face. "But just because we are not going to be in public does not mean you have carte blanche access to put your mother through the ringer. What I said before earlier still goes. You **will** respect her, understand?"

Alex just frowned and threw herself on the couch to pout.

Knowing the mood was going to be quite heavy that evening, Piper had decided to go with a light meal. She might end up being the only one eating anyhow. When Alex was in the shower, Piper made a decision to hide all the alcohol in the flat. Alex was still pretty hung over from her binge the night before, and Piper didn't want Alex to hide behind the cloud of wine.

It seemed as though Alex had again made the couch her permanent home. When the knock on the door came, she stiffened. Piper made no move to open the door. When it became evident that Alex was not planning on getting up, Piper spoke sweetly to her spouse. "Darling, will you get the door please? I need to finish dinner."

Alex huffed and puffed as she pulled herself up and made her way to the door. She swung it open and motioned for Diane to enter. Diane moved to give her daughter a hug and kiss on the cheek, and Alex swung her body to one side to avoid direct contact with her mom.

Piper wiped her hands on a towel and walked over to greet her mother-in-law. "Hi Mom. I'd offer you some wine, but this is an alcohol-free zone tonight. How about some tea or water?" She gave Diane a hug and a quick peck on the cheek.

Alex had thrown herself back on the couch, taking up most the room, leaving only the arm chair for her mother. However, Diane was as bullheaded as her daughter and practically sat on Alex's legs until she swung them off the couch to make room for both of them.

Alex breathed deeply before she turned to her mom. "How long Mom?" Diane looked at her daughter quizzically. "How long have you known  _he_  was in town?" Diane's eyes were fixed on the corner of the coffee table. "How LONG?"

From the kitchen. Piper mustered her most threatening voice, "Alex."

Alex gulped. "I'm sorry. I'm just upset Mom. I can't wrap my head around this." Alex stood up and began to pace the room. "Pipes, where is the wine?"

"No wine tonight Al. Now come to the table the both of you. Dinner is ready."

* * *

Diane pushed the pieces of chicken around on her plate. "A week Alex. He's been in the area for about a week. I got a phone call from my old job that said someone was looking for me. Imagine my surprise to find out it was my ex-boyfriend, your birth father."

Diane's discomfort was obvious and Piper reached over to hold her hand.

Diane looked at her daughter. "Alex, I only talked to him twice myself. Once on the phone to find out who was looking for me. We then met for coffee the next day. I told him to not contact you until I had a chance to talk to you first. I told him."

"But Mom, a week? How long did you think he'd wait? What the hell does he want from me anyway? He obviously didn't wait around 34 years ago."

Diane reached over with her other hand and covered Alex's. "Alex there is so much that you don't know, that  ** _we_**  don't know. I know he left me when I was pregnant. I know we struggled growing up. But we are Vause-women. We are strong. We are invincible. Whatever agenda Lee Burley has right now, we – you and me – we can surpass that. Just like we did for over thirty years."

"He wants to talk to me Mom. What the fuck can he has to say to me? Why should I give him the time of day?"

Diane pulled both her hands over to Alex's. "Just give him a chance Alex. That's all I'm asking, a chance."

Alex pulled her hands away and stood up. Covering her face with her hands, Alex groaned. "No Ma. I don't want anything to do with him. He doesn't deserve even a minute of my time. Discussion is over Mom. I'm sorry. I just can't do it. I hate the man."

Conversation lingered a little longer then Piper walked Diane downstairs. "I'll talk to her Mom. I can't promise anything but I'll talk to her."

"It's important Piper. To Lee and I think it will be to Alex, too. I wish I could tell her more, but it's just not my story to tell. It's just… it's just important. Thanks for talking to her."

* * *

Piper took a little longer in the bathroom, making things just right before she got into bed with Alex. She felt a little guilty for playing dirty. Actually … she didn't feel guilty at all. Alex was pretty stubborn and sometimes she just needed a little more convincing.

Alex was laying on her side facing away from Piper's side of the bed when Piper slipped into bed next to her. Alex had on a sleeveless t-shirt and cut-off sweat pants shorts. Piper slipped her hand around Alex's waist, slipping her hand beneath Alex's shirt.

"Are you asleep babe?"

"No."

"What are you thinking about so hard?"

"Why does my mom want me to talk to this man so bad Pipes? She knows how I feel about him! He means nothing to me."

Piper began to draw lazy circles on Alex's stomach. "What harm would there be in meeting him? Just once? Hear him out then never have to deal with again?"

Alex turned over on her back and Piper continued her light striations on Alex's smooth skin. Alex drew a deep breath and let it out. "Because I don't want to? Isn't that good enough Piper?"

"Aren't you the least big curious to talk to Lee?" Piper propped herself up on one elbow and cupped one of Alex's breasts in her palm, lightly pinching her nipple. Alex arched her back into Piper's hand.

Alex sucked her lower lip into her mouth. "Hmmm Pipes, I know you are trying to distract me."

"Mmmmm is it working?" Piper lowered her lips to Alex's nipple, lapping it gently.

Alex pulled Piper on top of her, settling her between her legs. "No, but I like the way you think." Alex pulled Piper up and crashed their lips together. Piper entwined her hands in Alex's hair and pulled their faces even closer as she ground her crotch into Alex. Alex groaned as she slid her hand down Piper's legs.

Piper leveraged her knee between Alex's, swung her leg over Alex, and stood up on the floor. "Piper?" Piper walked over to the linen closet, pulled out a set of sheets and blanket, and deposited them on the bed. Alex sat up, pulling her shirt back down over her breasts. "What's that for?"

"You. You have the couch tonight."

"You are kidding right?" Alex's tone was incredulous. "Pipes?" Piper crossed her arms and held her ground. "Ugh!" Alex drew her knees up to her chest, resting her head. "Why Piper? Who cares whether or not I meet with my sperm donor who I've never set eyes on before?"

"Your mother, for one. You need to listen to your mom. Please? If not for her, for me?" Piper made shooing motions with her hands towards Alex. "But until you do meet with him, you have the couch."

Alex crawled out of bed, grabbed the linens and stomped into the living room.

* * *

Alex haphazardly threw the sheets over the couch, laid down, and snuggled down beneath the blanket. Her mind was racing which kept her from sleeping. She could not figure out why the hell her wife and mother insisted she do something she vehemently did not want to do.

She threw her hand over her eyes as she remembered the time she  _did_  try to meet her dad. The memory was imprinted into her brain much like the night she met Piper. She was 22, and  _Death Maiden_  was playing at a local dive. She attended the concert, which sucked by the way. Afterwards, she tried to make her way to the back of the bar into the band area. She was stopped at the door by a scraggly beast of a man who refused her entrance.

"No hon. You are gorgeous and all, but you've got no business back there. Those guys… are no good. You claim the drummer is your dad? Well if I were you, I'd forget all about him. Walk about of here and forget you ever heard the name Lee Burley. That heroin addict doesn't deserve the likes of you in his life."

Alex sighed and flipped over on the couch again. She did  _not_  want to meet Lee. She knew that for sure. Another thing she knew was that she missed her wife. It had been a  _long_  time since she had spent a night without Piper beside her side. This was stupid.

Alex didn't  _need_  to meet Lee. All Alex  _needed_ was Piper. Alex threw off her covers and made her way back to the bedroom. Surely Piper would be asleep by now, and Alex could just slip into bed next to her. They could work out their differences in the morning. Alex eased the door open and entered the dark room. Even with the lights off, Alex could immediately tell that Piper was not in their bed. The rumpled covers were piled in the center of the bed but no Piper.

Alex eased the door shut and went to the spare bedroom, gently turning the knob only to meet resistance. She eased the knob back to position and rested her head on the door jamb.  _Locked. Piper was not only sleeping in the guest bedroom, but she had also locked her out to make sure she didn't come in after Piper was sleeping._

Trudging back to the couch, Alex threw herself down and again tried to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Alex woke up to a horrible crick in her neck. She tried to flop her arm over in search of the warm body that she always woke up next to. Her heart fell when she realized that she was alone … on the couch. Sitting up, she rubbed the back of her neck trying to work out the stiffness.

A quick glance at the kitchen let Alex know that Piper had not made any coffee if she had even left the guest bedroom. A deep sigh didn't do much to relieve her tension. Alex quickly changed clothes and headed to the bar early.

Alex let herself into the bar where she immediately went to the office. If nothing else, she could bury herself in work. The grand opening of their  _Cocktail_   _Night_  was a tremendous success. It was quite satisfying to calculate the phenomenal profits. She readied the deposit and headed back out to the bank which was a task she normally would do later in the day when she was relieved by a bartender. But Alley's wasn't even open yet, so Alex was taking advantage of her early day.

After her banking was complete, Alex was back at the bar just in time for opening. She was trying to settle into her routine for comfort but it didn't seem to be working. The more her thoughts rattled into her head, the heavier her heart became. This was all becoming too much for her to handle. Her father had ruined her life growing up, and now he was coming in between her and her wife. Something had to give.

Alex poured herself a double shot of Patron and downed with no chaser. She shook off the shudder that came with the smooth tequila and poured herself another. Walking to the far end of the bar, she peered across the street, staring at Popi's. The longer she thought of Piper, the sadder she became. It had been less than twelve hours without her wife, and she was absolutely miserable. She downed the second double as she stared across the street.

Piper came walking down the street from the direction of their home, unlocked the door and entered Popi's. That she didn't even look in the direction of Alley's was the straw that broke the camel's back. Alex made a decision – the only one that could be made at the juncture. Regardless of her feelings about her sperm donor, she missed her spouse. And when push comes to shove, Piper would  _always_  come out on top.

Breathing in deep, Alex pulled a wadded slip of paper from her pocket and picked up her phone to type out a quick text.

_Lee – this is Alex. I'll give you half an hour. Tonight._ She included an address then pressed send. There was no turning back now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize that many readers may have strong opinions, particularly at how Piper handled the situation with Alex. I really needed to make sure Alex met with Lee quickly since I'm not one to draw things out in my fics.
> 
> But honestly… in S3, we all saw how manipulative canon-Piper is. In fact, canon-Alex dumped her because of it. And frankly Alex in this fic really doesn't give a shit which you are about to read. There is so much in play here that will soon (or not so soon) come to light. And you will probably be mad/upset again – a few times before this fic settles; I know I was.
> 
> Hang on to your hats – it's about to get wild.


	16. Apologies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is in NO WAY meant to throw shade on the steps of AA/NA. Alex is just being... well Alex.

Alex poured herself a stiff drink of bourbon and motioned towards Piper with the bottle. Piper shook her head, refusing the drink. Alex swallowed the drink in one gulp, grimacing as she poured another. "Fucking steps eight and nine." Alex's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "8. We make a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. 9. We make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others."

Alex chortled in disbelief. "Narcotics Anonymous. The man wants to make  **amends**  for abandoning me before I was ever born and not acknowledging my existence for over thirty years." Alex almost spit out the words in the last sentence.

Piper tentatively approached Alex and placed her hands on Alex's shoulders, feeling the tenseness in her muscles. She gently began to massage at some of the knots. "Alex? You met with your fath… with Lee? Why didn't you tell me?"

Alex nodded. "Yup, I met with him. I'm telling you  _now_  Piper. And he's an ass, just as I thought. He had a  **list**." She turned to look at Piper. "He showed me the list. I was number one; Mom was number two. Fucker couldn't even put my mother first when she's the one he did wrong." Alex turned back around facing away from Piper. "She deserved to be top on the list of  _those he harmed_." Alex spit out the words in anger. "I came out pretty good in this with just my mom. We didn't need that sleaze bag anyway."

Moving her arms down Alex's front, Piper gave her a strong hug from the back, kissing her on the edge of her jaw to try to stem the rants flowing from her wife. "I'm proud of you babe." Alex reached up and tucked both hands over Piper's arms. "I'm sorry he's an ass, but you needed to do this – for yourself and for your mom." Piper swung her body around and straddled Alex's lap, putting her forehead against Alex's.

Alex wrapped her arms around Piper's waist, pulling her closer. Laying her head on Piper's chest, she spoke softly. "No babe, I needed to do this for you. My mom, she'll always be my mom. Me, I can live without the man. But what I cannot live without… is you." Alex tapped Piper's chest.

Piper lifted her hands up to cup Alex's face and kissed her gently. "Oh Al," she murmured. "I'm not going anywhere.  _We_  are not going anywhere." Piper gently grazed each of Alex's eyelids with her lips.

Alex trembled. "God Piper." Alex looked at her wife, taking in her soft skin, glowing almost. Alex pulled Piper closer yet waiting to touch, to feel, to kiss… "I thought about you today, all day. I met with  _Lee_  because I wasn't going to spend another night without my  _wife._ " Alex was whispering. "I missed you. I missed going to sleep with you. I missed waking up with you. Damn it, I just missed you."

Piper slid her hands down Alex's face, down her chest, and rested her hands on the crooks of her elbows. Piper whispered, "did you now?" Alex's tremble turned to shivers giving Piper a clear answer.

Piper ran her tongue down Alex's neck to her throat, nipping at her skin. Alex pressed her fingers into Piper's back. Piper slipped her hands from Alex's elbows beneath her arms to the small of her back. Finding Alex's pulse point, Piper sucked firmly, eliciting a moan from her wife. Without releasing the pressure, Piper drew her mouth firmly up Alex's stretched out neck. As she reached Alex's jaw, she released with a pop and devoured Alex's mouth with a deep, long lasting kiss. Alex's body simply melted.

"I love to kiss you," Piper whispered.

"I love for you to kiss me," Alex replied. "One night and one morning without your kisses were one night and one morning too many. I never want to be without you again Piper."

Piper ravished Alex's mouth again. While keeping contact, Piper wriggled her legs and got her feet settled firmly on the floor. She reached for Alex's wrists, grasped them firmly and pulled Alex to her feet. She then pulled Alex's arms so that they wrapped around her as she walked backwards towards the bedroom.

Piper kissing her this way had Alex excited. Very excited. "What," she panted, "are you doing Pipes?" Piper dove in for a deeper kiss. Alex could feel the moisture gathering between her legs. "Fuck Pipes. I want you."

"I know."

By this time, Piper had pulled Alex all the way to the bed. Dropping her hands to Alex's thighs, Piper kissed Alex's neck until chill bumps rose up on her arms. She made short work of Alex's shirt and bra and dipped her head to wrap her lips around a nipple. Alex groaned and eased both their bodies onto the bed.

Not giving Alex a chance to gain the upper hand, Piper leveraged her body to turn Alex over to her back and quickly undid the button on her jeans, unzipping them. Without waiting for Alex to wriggle out of the tight denim, Piper slipped her hand beneath Alex's underwear and rolled her fingers in Alex's wetness. "Mmmm all this is for me?"

"Fuck. Get these jeans off me." Alex began to tear at her jeans, Piper assisting with her one free hand. As soon as Alex was free of the offensive clothing, Piper cruelly withdrew her fingers, trailing wetness up Alex's body to her mouth. Alex hungrily sucked at her own juices. Piper's mouth smashed into Alex's wrapping her tongue around Alex's fingers, sharing in the flavor.

Piper then dipped her head down to run her tongue along the wet trail left by her fingers. Tasting the juices, licking across her stomach, pausing to suck on Alex's hip bone and Alex's pelvis lifted in encouragement.

"Please." Alex's voice was insistent but aching. Piper slipped down a bit further, settling between Alex's legs and gently touched Alex's bundle of nerves with the tip of her tongue. Alex twitched. " _Please_." Her voice was louder this time, more insistent.

Piper flattened her tongue against Alex's clit, giving her the pressure she so wanted. Alex lifted her hips again and was about to start moving in rhythm with Piper's tongue when Piper unexpected slipped her fingers into Alex's body – to the hilt. Piper made her way up to Alex's mouth and captured her tongue with her teeth, sucking it into her mouth as Alex thrust it down her throat. Piper began to move her fingers. Slowly. In… and out.

"Piper, baby." Alex's voice was pleading. "I want to come hard. Please!"

"Not yet," Piper kept her movements slow and gently, knowing it was driving her wife up the wall.

"Harder damn it!" Alex thrust her hips in attempt to get Piper to relent.

"No." Piper continued her slow in and out motions while applying pressure to Alex's clit with her palm, resisting her begging. Soft trembling waves began to overtake Alex's body as she wrapped her leg around Piper, pulling her closer. But Piper resisted still yet.

"Yesssss. Piper. Fuck me. Please baby. Please fuck me."

"No baby. Gentleness. Relax baby. Relax and let your body take over." Piper's slow motions had her hand trembling as she whispered into Alex's ear. Piper ached herself. "Relax Al."

"If I relax now, I will come all over you."

"Mmmmmmm that's what I want." Piper's mouth found Alex's nipple and flicked it before sucking it into her mouth. She sucked… hard. Alex screamed, her body convulsing in a long, never ending orgasm.

* * *

Piper rolled off of Alex, falling onto her back. Both women were still breathing heavily. Soon Piper rolled her body over to lay next to Alex.

"God Pipes. FUCK!  _What_  was that?"

Piper pulled herself up on an elbow so she could see Alex. She brushed Alex's hair back behind her ears. "An apology?"

"You say that like it's a question," Alex scoffed. "I mean, it's not like I  _mind_ , but yesterday you kicked me out of our bed then locked me out of the spare bedroom. Then today, you give me mind-blowing sex. What gives?"

Piper caressed Alex's cheek. "I'm so sorry about that Alex. I had no business doing what I did last night, forcing you to do something you didn't want to do and then using our relationship as leverage. It was cruel and manipulative. I honestly didn't think it through. It's just that… Diane… she was pretty upset about the whole deal. I would do anything for her. She asked me to try to convince you. Honestly…I was torn." Piper kissed Alex as she turned Alex's chin to face her. "Regardless of the reason, I should have supported you as my wife. I'm apologize. It won't happen again."

Alex stretched up and kissed Piper on the tip of her nose. "It's okay Pipes. Turn over, come be my little spoon. The meeting was a joke anyway.  _He_  is a joke. I should have just gone when I got his letter at Alley's. I was just being stubborn. I thought I was making him pay for his behavior, but I'm the who had to pay."

"Want to talk about it?" Piper snuggled her ass back into Alex.

"I mean, he showed up dressed like he was still a touring rock-star from the 80's. His eyes were bugging out of his head and he had a bandana over his head… probably to hide his male pattern baldness. You know, the scariest part? He had on dark eye liner. Fuck. I guess now I know where I got  _that_  from."

"Seriously? He had on eye liner?"

"Yup. Just like the drummer he used to be. Look Piper. He's an ex-heroin addict washed out drummer of a band that sucked. I gave him his thirty minutes and that's really all it took. He made his amends – his  _apologies -_ I listened, and that's it. My duty as a daughter done. Now my mother can go back to being a single parent, and we can move on with our lives."

"Thanks for talking to him Al. I'm proud of you."

* * *

Piper walked into Popi's bright and early the next morning. She slept much better with Alex's arms wrapped around her than she had alone on the uncomfortable guest bed the previous night. One could say that she deserved that discomfort though for the way she treated Alex. While the end justified the means, it's nothing Piper would ever do again. Ever.

She traipsed upstairs and unlocked both workshops in order to get ready for the day. In the "natural" space, the initial order for Founder's Mansion was ready to go. The cases were all stacked up against one wall, waiting on delivery later in the week. A new shelving unit had been installed to stock vanilla lotion and candles for the downstairs shop and it was full to the brim.

The overtime everyone had been working had paid off. As Piper explored the "floral" space, she found that those shelves were full as well – ready to fill any orders that came through the door. A warm feeling filled Piper's chest as she realized her expansion dream coming true.

So today was the day they could begin on the shop. Piper was excited to see what creativity the ladies could bring to the store.

Diane was next to arrive at work and was silent as she found a place to store her jacket and purse. She didn't make eye contact with Piper.

"Diane… mom?" Piper approached her mother-in-law. Piper's voice was soft as she lay her hand on Diane's elbow. "Hey."

Diane looked up. "Hey."

"Al met with Lee yesterday after work. It was short. But she met with him."

A small smile crawled across Diane's face as she lifted her eyes to look at Piper. "She did?"

Piper nodded. "She did."

Nothing more was said about the meeting that day but the mood was noticeably lighter as Diane, Daya, and Sophia designed the layouts and decorated the storefront.

Piper lost track of time as she worked on paperwork in the office. She heard a light knock on the door frame. Diane spoke softly. "We are done Piper. Do you want to check it out?"

"What? You guys are done with the shop? Already?"

Diane was beaming with pride as she nodded. "The girls. They work fast. And Piper, we were talking." Piper nodded, urging Diane to speak. "We have the vanilla in its special section since we are doing a test run of the candles and lotions. But the samples we have all tried and shared with our close friends… they have been a hit." Diane took a deep breath.

"Mom, just spit it out. I won't bite." Piper laughed at how cautious her mother-in-law was being.

"What's the best selling floral soap? The one reordered the most?"

"Lavender."

"We'd like to run some test batches of lotion and candles in lavender. It would round out the store and allow us to better decide if lotion and candles are a really good fit for Popi's storefront. I don't pretend to know all the ins and outs of your business, but I feel this in my gut."

Piper was quiet for a moment as she thought. She nodded. "Sometimes gut decisions are best. Okay Mom. You've got my permission. Two batches of medium candles and two of lotion. Then we'll take a look at the numbers."

Diane clapped her hands and turned to go back down to let the other girls know. She said over her shoulder. "Thanks Piper. Oh… and thanks… for whatever you said to Alex. I appreciate it."

* * *

Nicky leaned back with a coaster in her hand and snapped it forward like a Frisbee. When the coaster fell on the back of her hand, she flourished the movements and flipped her hand over, depositing the coaster on the bar in front of the redhead. Grinning broadly, Nicky crooned, "Glad you could make it Ginger. What will it be? How can I pleasure you tonight?"

The woman batted her eyelashes at the bartender. "Happy you called. Now  _that's_ a loaded question. How about a Sex on the Beach?"

Nicky smirked and winked at the woman as she grabbed a highball glass, tossed a cube of ice from behind her back and caught it in the glass. Grasping a bottle of peach schnapps in one hand and a bottle of vodka in the other, she did a double spin with each bottle, pouring them into the shaker simultaneously and repeated the process with cranberry and orange juice. With a few shakes of the tin, she strained the drink into the highball glass and garnished with an orange slice, pineapple wedge and an umbrella.

Nicky slid the drink forward where it came to a halt right in front of the redhead. "Now tell me gorgeous. What kind of sadistic mother names her redheaded child 'Ginger'?"

Ginger took a long sip of her drink, nodding her head appreciatively. "I'm not sure  _Nicky_. What kind of sadistic mother whose last name is Nichols names her child Nicky?" They both laughed. "Nice skills you've got there  _Nicky_."

Nicky wriggled the fingers of her hands in front of her. "Pure talent my friend. Pure talent."

Alex walked up beside her bartender, playfully shoving her aside. Placing both hands on the bar, she leaned over and looked at the redhead on the other side. "Don't let this one's fancy flips and tricks reel you in. She's a sneak."

Nicky winked at the redhead. Addressing Alex, she asked, "Tonight Diane night?"

"Yup. And Nic… that band picture that came in Saturday? Can you find a place for it? Nothing too obvious, but don't bury it in the back either. Thanks."

"Sure thing boss." And for once, Nicky wasn't about to ask any questions.

* * *

Piper walked into Diane's apartment while Alex lingered back a bit. Piper turned and pulled Alex in by the hand. "Don't be silly Al. She's not upset with you. I think she's rather delighted that you met with Lee."

True enough, Diane met her daughter with a crushing hug and kiss on the cheek. "Thank you Alex. You don't know how much it means to me that you met with your father."

"Can you stop calling him my  _father?_  Besides I was blackmailed by my wife and I wasn't about to let that happen again. But what's important is that it's over and done with. We can all now go back to our normal lives." Alex continued chattering and did not catch her mother's slight shift in mood as she quietly went back to preparing dinner.

Piper stepped into the kitchen. "Why don't you let me finish up here Mom? You've been working long hours at Popi's and I'm sure you are tired. Why don't you set the table then put your feet up?" Diane quietly nodded and gathered the place settings to the table. "Better yet, why don't you put your feet up?" Then Piper called out to Alex. "Hon, would you mind setting the table please? We should have gone out tonight. I've been working your mom too hard."

Alex went about setting the table then froze. "Mom?" Alex's voice was confused. "Mom!" She approached the couch where her mother was avoiding eye contact. "Can you please tell me… why are there  ** _FOUR_  **table settings?"


	17. Founder's Manor

Alex went about setting the table then froze. "Mom?" Alex's voice was confused. "Mom!" She approached the couch where her mother was avoiding her eyes. "Can you please tell me… why are there  _FOUR_  plates?" All three women turned to stare at the door as there was a quiet knock. Alex's voice turned desperate. "Mom?"

 

 

 

 

"It's your father Alex. I thought it would be nice to ask him."

"Quit calling him  **my father**." Alex spit with each word. " _You thought_ _ **it would be nice**_ _?_  Did you not think perhaps warning me might be a good idea? … ASKED ME perhaps? Imagine that. This," Alex made a motion between three women, "this is a family. We make decisions as a family."

Diane stood up to face her daughter and pointed to the door. "And the man on the other side of that door gave you life Alex. He gave you  **life**. Regardless of what has transpired since, don't forget that." Diane shifted her finger to Alex's face. "And… no matter how tall you get, I'm still your mother."

Piper screwed up her face and went to stand next to her wife, wrapping her arms around Alex's waist, seemingly to serve as a buffer between the two Vause women. She then placed one hand on Alex's shoulder, comforting her. "Alex? Look at me baby." Piper gently pulled Alex's face towards her. "Al, do we need to leave? We can go."

Alex narrowed her eyes then glared at her mother. "You know Piper, I told you last night I don't give a fuck about the man. If Mom wants him here, then so be it. Let's get this shit over with." Alex kissed Piper then went to finish the table.

Diane opened the door and quietly let Lee in the apartment. They embraced and he gave Diane a chaste kiss on the cheek before presenting her with a bouquet of brightly colored flowers. Diane smiled broadly. "Oh Lee, these are cute as can be. I'll just put these in water. Why don't you come into the kitchen and meet my daughter-in-law?"

As Lee passed Alex setting the table, he greeted her. "Alex." Alex just grunted.

Diane turned her back to dig a vase out of the cabinet. "And this blonde beauty is my daughter-in-law, Piper."

Piper wiped her hands off on the towel and offered her hand for a shake. She dared not verbally greet him out of the promise of support she'd given Alex.

Lee took a breath, sniffing the smells. "Is that Diane's famous lasagna I smell? Goodness, I don't know how long it has been since I've tasted that."

Alex scoffed and muttered under her breath. "Thirty years perhaps?"

"Alex," Diane warned. "Don't." Alex just rolled her eyes as she finished setting the table.

Alex approached Piper in the kitchen. "Thanks for not hiding the wine this time babe." She reached around Piper to uncork the wine on the counter to pour her a glass. "I have a feeling I'm going to need it."

Piper leaned into Alex. "I'm serious Al. If we need to go, just say the word. I'll support you fully."

"No, apparently they are getting along quite well." Alex tossed her head towards her mom and Lee. "If she wants him here, I can bite my tongue for one night." She watched as her mom was smiling at Lee again. "At least I hope it's only for one night. Ack, disgusting." Alex shuddered.

Piper chuckled as she kissed Alex on the tip of her nose. "Would you get the  _famous lasagna_  out of the oven please? The sooner we eat, the sooner this can be over." Piper stretched up and cupped her hands around Alex's ear, whispering. Alex actually blushed as she ducked her chin to kiss her spouse. Both women giggled at their own private joke as they finished readying the table.

* * *

Their meal was consumed in relative silence. Alex was mostly just pushing food around on her plate, but she periodically took small bites but only after Piper would kick her leg and wink at her. Piper shoveled a large bite into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "Diane, this lasagna is different than normal tonight. Excellent but different."

Diane smiled at Lee before she answered Piper. "Thank you Piper. I did try a new recipe tonight. I'm glad you like it."

This seemingly broke the silence allowing Lee to speak. "So Piper, Diane tells me she works for you. That you have your own line of soap and other bath products. She said you have a new storefront opening soon. I find it astonishing for a woman to own her own business and to be so successful immediately."

Alex scoffed at his last statement. "How misogynistic of you. And what about me  _Lee?"_  She rolled her eyes. "What about my business?"

"I wasn't sure if it was okay to talk to you  _Alex_. I am amazed at your bar; maybe someday we will be able to talk about how you got to where you are today. I genuinely would like to hear your story."

Alex stood up and retrieved her and Piper's plate. "And I would like to hear yours." There was no mistaking the sarcasm in Alex's voice. Diane got up to help clear the table. "No mom, that's okay. You have a guest. I'll take care of the kitchen. I'll be much more comfortable in there."

Diane was overly preoccupied with Lee's presence and ignored Alex's insolence. She motioned for Lee and Piper to take a seat on the longer couch and then she went to the back room. She emerged with a picture album. Number one. It was all Piper could do to keep her audible gasp down. She looked over to Alex who had not missed the significance of the album. Piper motioned with her head to the door. Alex sadly shook her head and motioned to the album.

Diane positioned herself between Lee and Piper. While these pictures were certainly some of the cutest of baby Alex, it wasn't the same for Piper without her wife beside her side sharing in the memories. It was simply tolerating the pictures for Diane's sake. Piper knew that later she and Alex would go back through the pictures on their own when the experience would be much more meaningful.

One thing that didn't escape her attention was Diane's bubbly, exuberant behavior and the slight touches she kept laying on Lee's arm. Frankly, Piper was beginning to feel uncomfortable. It was all Piper could do to keep from screaming and running from the room with her arms flailing like Kermit the Frog. It was not a moment too soon when Alex and Piper said their goodbyes.

* * *

As soon as they were well outside of earshot of the apartment, Alex blurted out. "What the  **fuck** was that Pipes?"

"Oh my god Alex. I am so sorry. I promise I had no idea she had invited him."

"No, no, no baby. I know you didn't. I could tell you were as shocked as myself. But what the fuck was going on between Lee and my mom? They were a little too close for my comfort. You don't think…" Alex shook her head as if to remove the image from her brain. "This just goes to show that my mother has never gotten over him."

Alex placed her arm around Piper's shoulders, pulling her in tightly and they set off towards their own home. Alex pulled up short again. She pulled Piper around to face her. "So Piper. About what you whispered in my ear earlier…"

"Yeah?"

"I behaved, pretty well I might add. Do I get my reward?"

Piper acted as though she was putting serious consideration into her answer. She screwed up her face up in thought. Then her face broke out into a tremendous smile. "I suppose so." She grabbed Alex's shirt, stood on her toes, and pressed her lips to Alex's. Her soft kiss soon turned rough as she encouraged Alex deeper into the kiss.

Without warning, Piper broke the kiss and turned back to walk to the apartment. A few steps in, she turned to see Alex frozen in place. "Well, are you coming Al?"

Alex shook out the cobwebs and grinned. "Not yet, but I'm sure I will be soon."

* * *

The next morning at Popi, Diane came breezing in a few minutes after Piper. "Good morning my favorite daughter-in-law," she said cheerfully.

Piper turned, face almost glaring. "Okay Diane. I love you. But last night… that was not cool. You didn't want Lee surprising Alex without warning, yet you did the same thing to both of us. On top of that, last night was family night. I don't recall him being a part of the family that I know. That was a low blow."

Diane became silent, her chipper mood quite deflated. "Piper I'm not sure what got into me. He texted me to let me know he had talked to Alex. I didn't ask him how it went – nor did I ask you for all that mattered. I suppose I shouldn't have invited him over, at least without checking with Alex first. How angry is she?"

"You need to take that up with her Diane. She's your kid. I'm not playing the go between anymore. I learned my lesson on that one. And you better do it soon. We are leaving for Donovan on Friday for the weekend and I don't want her in a sour mood the entire time." Diane nodded.

Piper motioned to the crates of product stacked up. "I need to deliver the first batch of goods. There was a last minute cancellation at the Manor, and Taylor and Laura invited us to stay. So – please, talk to her Mom? No more trying to convince her to like him or to be around him or anything. Just talk to her. But more importantly… listen. She loves you and is concerned, especially after watching the interactions between the two of you last night. It was awkward for the both of us."

"Please get your daughter taken care of. I need to have my head clear because we get back Sunday and Popi's grand opening is Wednesday. You and the girls will have the rest of the weekend to make sure everything is perfect. Meanwhile, will you prepare and wrap six assorted gift baskets? They will need to be loaded tomorrow with the product going to Donovan."

"Oh, and Diane?" Piper's voice was still sharp. "I'm serious about making things right with Alex. Today."

* * *

Once the rented van was packed to the gills with cases of product, Piper and Alex were on their way to Donovan. Nicky had begged and pleaded to go but Alex put her foot down as she needed a front of the house manager while she was gone on a busy weekend.

Soon the buildings and traffic of the city faded into rolling hills and country side. Alex reached over and turned off the radio then linked her fingers into Piper's, pulling her hand into her own lap. Piper grinned as she looked over. "What, no tunes?"

Alex shook her head. "It's gorgeous out here. I just want to enjoy the view and the peacefulness of it all with you. It's good to get out of the rat race for a couple of days. Our honeymoon seems years ago, and this could not have come at a better time." Piper nodded her head in agreement.

The women shared idle chatter throughout the drive to Donovan. At one point, Piper tried to ask if Diane had spoken with Alex. The raven haired women raised a hand, stopping her wife from speaking. "Not now Pipes. Let's just enjoy our weekend get-away. We can deal with the rest later."

* * *

After a few hours, they pulled up to Founder's Manor. "Wow," Piper exclaimed. "This is even more phenomenal than what is seen on their website. I love the grandiose first look and the wrap-around porch. Let's go find Yael."

No sooner did the words escape Piper's mouth did Yael come out the front door dusting flour off her hands, wiping them on her apron. "Well hello you two. I take it you brought me a whole van of goodies." The woman gave each woman a strong hug.

Piper smiled at the inn keeper. "Yup, and an overnight bag. Yael, this place is beautiful. I'm so excited about spending the weekend here."

"Taylor and Laura are happy to finally be meeting you. As for me, I'm ecstatic for the goods. Your samples flew off the shelf. And that says a lot here in these parts. Why don't you have a seat?" Yael motioned to some white rocking chairs on the porch. "I have some lemonade and cookies I can bring out."

Alex plopped down in a chair and immediately closed her eyes. "Wow, I could get used to this." Alex breathed in deeply and let her air out. "The air coming across the lake brings in just the right amount of coolness. Fresh."

After relaxing with the snacks that were brought out, the three of them made short work of unloading the van. Yael gave them a tour of the house since no guests were presently checked then. Then she insisted on Piper and Alex relaxing in the front porch rocking chairs while she stocked the bedrooms with the new product.

Alex scooted a chair close to Piper's and grasped her hand. They both tilted their heads back and closed their eyes in order to achieve a deeper state of relaxation. Alex groaned, "I could **definitely** get used to this Pipes."

Soon the sound of car tires on the gravel parking lot and a slamming car door announced the arrival of one of the guests. Alex didn't bother to open her eyes as footsteps made their way around to the front porch. A shrill scream and the sound of dropping grocery bags jolted both Alex and Piper out of their relaxed state.

The blonde woman standing on the path had her hands over her mouth, seemingly in shock. Seeing the groceries that had been spilled, Alex leapt to her feet and went to retrieve them. She offered her hand. "Hi, you must be Taylor. I'm Alex."

After sputtering and struggling over her words, the woman said, "Natasha and Yael told me that you two could be identical twins to my fiancé and me, but I didn't believe them." She shook Alex's hand. "I'm so sorry to have startled you both. I just wasn't prepared for you to look like  _this_." She motioned to them again.

Alex chuckled as she carried the groceries up the stairs. "Why don't you show me where these go?"

* * *

Friday night dinner was a raucous gathering of Donovan friends and family at the mansion. Piper distributed the gift baskets Diane had made up, and all the women dug into the excitedly – and bargaining to exchange for their favorite flavors amongst each other. Piper just chuckled and let them know that after this go around, if they would just make a list of their favorites, she'd have the baskets made specifically for each woman.

Lots of teasing went around in regards to the pair of doppelgangers in the room. While still possible, it was almost difficult to tell the pair of women apart from each other. Luckily all the bantering was done in good nature. All that was important was that the woman could tell each other apart.

Once the crowd thinned out a bit, the remaining partiers moved to the porch. Yael had prepared Alex and Piper with a suggested itinerary for Saturday which included a visit to a local farm to pick fresh strawberries and to milk cows. Of course Piper was ecstatic while Alex acted like she couldn't be bothered. Secretly Alex knew she'd be terrified of cows. Of course Piper remembered the tegu at the zoo and knew that a trip to the farm would be just what Alex needed to broaden her horizons as far as animals went. Yael had practically scheduled the entire Saturday for them even down to reservations to the best restaurant in town.

"I warned them in advance that you resembled Tay and Laura and asked that you be seated in the back. But don't be surprised if you have people approach you and try to talk to you as if you are these two."

Taylor leaned forward to pour another glass of wine. "Just make something up. That's what I do!"

* * *

"I'm so glad to be here – away from everything back at home." Alex collapsed in the chaise lounge situated in the corner of the room.

"Tell me about it," Piper responded as she squeezed behind her on the armless lounge. Piper let her hands drift gently across Alex's back, rubbing up to her neck and head, and finally moving down to massage her shoulders.

"Mmmmm that feels nice," Alex murmured.

Piper slid her hands from Alex's shoulders down her upper arms and down her forearms. She took each hand in turn massaging the palms then each finger by finger. Piper wrapped her legs around Alex's waist, pulling her closer as she relaxed into Piper. "What can I do baby?"

"Just keep doing what you are doing Pipes."

"How about we move this show to the bed? I see a bottle of my  _favorite_  vanilla lotion over there. I can give you a full body massage and just rub you until you fall asleep."

Alex's eyes were rolled back in her head. "Oh god yes. That sounds wonderful because I don't think I've had a good night's sleep in a while."

Piper pushed Alex slightly to encourage her to get up. "Come on, let's get ready. Then I'll massage you right into sleepy-time."

Alex grinned at the phrase Piper used. "Sleepy-time, eh?"

Piper grinned. "Yeah!" She giggled. "Now lay your ass down and let's get to relaxing."

Piper rubbed.

And Alex slept.


	18. The Farm

Despite the strange bed, both women slept quite soundly Friday. Alex was the first to stir as the scent of coffee tickled her nose. She had fallen asleep with her arms wrapped around Piper, and neither woman had budged during the night. Alex shifted Piper some to try to get feeling back in her hand.

"Urrghmft," Piper grumbled as Alex struggled to free her arm from beneath her wife's dead weight. "Must. Sleep. More." Piper typically hit the stage of maximum adorableness when she did not want to wake in the mornings. Alex grinned as she kissed her wife gently and pulled herself out of bed. After washing her face and making herself somewhat presentable, she donned one of the thick, plush robes hanging in the bathroom and headed downstairs.

"Well good morning sleeping beauty." Yael's chipper voice would have almost been the equivalent to nails on a chalkboard had it not been for the steaming mug of freshly poured coffee that was placed in front of Alex and the humongous cinnamon rolls which she was pulling out of the oven. "Where's Piper? I was under the impression that you two were inseparable."

Alex gave a deep, throaty chuckle as she stared at the sugary breakfast rolls. Licking her lips, she said, "Well Piper also likes her sleep. But once she realizes I'm not crawling back to bed, she'll be down. In fact, I estimate that to be in about 3, 2, 1…"

About that time, Piper came trudging down the stairs making her appearance. "G' morning." Piper plopped down on the stool next to Alex, stealing her coffee. "Mmmm perfect."

Yael tossed her head back, laughing. "I hope you two are fans of cinnamon rolls. This is obviously a fresh batch. I can also cook you breakfast to order."

Piper looked around the kitchen. "What about your other guests?"

"They are long gone for the day, my friend. So these goodies are all for you." Yael slid a saucer with a huge, gooey roll in front of each woman. "Milk?"

Piper nodded as she dipped her finger into the sauce oozing out of her cinnamon roll. "Ouch." She quickly stuck her fingers into her mouth to suck off the scorching hot glaze.

Leaning over to kiss Piper on the cheek, Alex laughed. "They just came out of the oven dork. They are hot." Alex carefully unraveled her roll some before tearing off an end which was markedly cooler than the center.

The trio languished in the kitchen, easily conversing about the town and the history behind the mansion. "Well I think what Laura and Taylor have done is amazing. The history of the town is being preserved for future generations and they are apparently revitalizing this small county." Piper popped the center of the cinnamon roll into her mouth and set about licking her fingers clean. "Yael, you've outdone yourself. These rolls are a.maz.ing. Thanks! Now for me, it's time to get ready to go milk some cows." Piper hopped off her stool, grabbed Alex's hand and pulled her back towards the staircase.

"Thanks!" Alex waved to Yael as she stumbled up the stairs behind her wife.

* * *

Both women quickly readied themselves and headed out the door. Laura had dropped off her Jeep for them to use since they had come to Donovan in the rental van. "I could get used to this Pipes." Alex had pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail and was enjoying the slight wind they were getting from the vehicle's bikini top. "I may be wanting a Jeep after this is over."

Following the directions provided by Yael, the farm was soon in sight. Piper quickly tumbled out and was excitedly heading towards the office. Alex just shook her head as she parked the borrowed Jeep and followed her wife into the building. Alex looked over Piper's shoulder at a laminated card which listed all of the activities at the farm. She knew that today would probably be filled with trepidation and humiliation for herself but whatever Piper wanted, Piper typically got.

As they approached their first stop, the barn, Piper began to squeal at sight of the baby animals which were in pens at the front of the building. There was quite the variety of species to include baby goats or kids, calves, and piglets. The farmer took them to the goat section first.

"These fellers are about the most entertaining of the bunch. Maybe they will warm your woman up and loosen her up to the idea of being around farm animals." The farmer unlocked the pens, let them in and relocked the gate. The kids were excited to see the new humans in their enclosure and started running, skipping almost, and jumping – bouncing off the various objects in their area. One little brown and white goat kept jumping up at Alex's side. When she wouldn't pet him, he raced off and leapt over a pair of calmer baby goats, using their backs as springboards to flip over and run around some more.

Piper started with small giggles which quickly turned to full laughter at the antics of the goats. She tried capturing their clowning around on video, but her mirth kept her hand holding the GoPro shaking. The farmer explained that these were the older kids which were weaned and waiting to be old enough to be turned to pasture. There were some younger ones inside the barn which were being bottle fed. "It's about feeding time. Would you like to go inside and meet the babies to help with feeding?"

Piper quickly handed Alex the GoPro with strict instructions to capture it all on video since she knew that Alex had no plans to get anywhere close to the animals. Little did Alex know that Piper had bigger plans than baby goats for her, much bigger! "Why are they being bottle fed? Don't they have mamas?" Of course, Piper was concerned about the emotional well-being of the goats.

The farmer explained that most of the goats on this farm were used for their milk. The kids were separated at an early age so that the mother could go back into the production herd. "It seems mean; but it's not. We take really good care of the little ones." With this, he opened the inside stall where the younger babies were and Piper about had a conniption fit.

"Alex, Alex. Come here! You HAVE to see this. OMG. How cute!"

Alex came rambling in, head down as she fiddled with the GoPro. "What on earth is cuter than a baby goat?" Alex inserted just enough sarcasm in her voice to make herself feel better but not enough to offend Piper.

"Baby goats in pajamas! Oh Alex, LOOK!" Sure enough the younger babies were not simply as adorable as the older ones outside, jumping and flipping around. They were much more adorable because they each hand on tight fitting outfits which resembled… well pajamas.

The farmer chuckled as he explained. "These siblings are about three weeks old. They absolutely despise the rain as all goats; plus they are susceptible to the cold. So until they are ready to be off the bottle and moved outside, they wear what you see. Plus it makes for good entertainment for the children who visit… and adults, too, apparently."

Piper settled on top of a hay bale and started feeding one of the kids with a large plastic bottle. "Alex, are you sure you don't want to help?" Alex just shook her head and kept videoing like the good wife she was. She was making an attempt to stay as invisible as possible.

* * *

The grin plastered across Piper's face did not fade even one iota as she helped feed the three triplets. Once they were satiated and back in their pen, the farmer led them to another enclosure. "Here is another one of our new additions." Piper and Alex peeked over the stall gate to see a black and white calf laying on the hay covered floor and its mother munching calmly from a feeder bucket. "This is one of our older moms, and she's pretty friendly. Let's go in."

"C-c-can I just stay out here? I don't really like cows that much, and … well I don't even like milk." Alex's eyes got wide as she tried to hide the fact that her heart was racing just being around the large mama animal.

Piper pulled her into the stall and latched it behind them. "No. You didn't have to play with the goats, so the cows are yours. I promised Diane pictures of you, too!" Piper went over to the calf and began to scratch him between the shoulder blades until he stood up. He wobbled slightly then ambled over to Alex. "See, he likes you."

Alex reached down to scratch his forehead and relaxed as the smaller cow leaned into the scratching motion. Suddenly he lifted his nose, found Alex's fingers with his mouth and began sucking. It took every ounce of willpower Alex had to not scream. "Ummmm help you guys! He's going to swallow my hand." Getting not assistance, Alex tried to gently remove her fingers and the calf began to suck harder. She looked over at Piper who was too busy taking pictures of Alex's terror to assist. After a few short moments, the calf spit Alex's fingers out and moseyed over to his mom's udders, head butted them a few times then latched on to drink his breakfast.

Alex held her hand out, away from her body and used her other hand to fumble with the gate latch. As she let herself and her wife out, she turned to Piper and raised her slimy fingers menacingly. "That. Was. Not. Funny."

Piper gave Alex a quick peck on the nose and replied. " **That** was even better than the tegu." She looked at her phone a few moments and let her fingers fly over the keys. "And now, the bar has yet another picture of their fearless boss."

"You didn't!" Alex tried to act like she was furious but they both knew she could never stay mad at Piper. So Alex did the next best thing and wiped the calf slobber off her hands onto Piper's jeans as Piper squealed in disgust.

* * *

Alex begrudgingly spent some additional time around some more of the animals as she knew that Piper would just bat her eyebrows and convince her to do whatever she wanted. They both learned how to hand-milk cows as well as goats. Alex agreed that while the animal was much larger, it was considerably easier to milk the cows! Neither woman had an interest in riding horses, but they did take some time to help with brushing the horses and combing out their manes. Piper snapped lots of pictures since she knew that she would probably never get Alex to do such things again and she wanted to preserve all their "farm chores" on film.

Eventually came what was certainly the easiest task of the "Day at the Farm", and that was picking berries. There were fields of perfectly ripe strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Piper and Alex grabbed a few buckets each and went into the rows of berries. Once they had their buckets filled to the brim, they trudged back to the main office to have their berries weighed and bagged so that they could pay and head back to the bed and breakfast.

Alex hopped over to the same row in which Piper was walking and slung an arm over her shoulder. "Okay Pipes, I admit. I had an uber good time today. This was really fun. All but the calf sucking on my fingers part." Alex kissed the side of Piper's forehead. "What do you think Piper?"

Piper gave a muffled response and looked away from Alex when Alex looked down at her spouse. "What? I can't understand you." Alex could feel Piper's shoulders start to shake. She stopped and turned Alex to face her. Piper's lips were totally blue and her cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk. "Piper Elizabeth Vause. Have you been eating blueberries?"

Piper shook her head as Alex started to tickle her. Soon blueberries began to tumble out of Piper's overstuffed mouth. "Piper! We agreed to not eat any until we got back! Shame on you."

"Culadnt hep tat."

"You couldn't help it? Whatever. You PIG!" Alex was laughing as she watched Piper try to choke down the remaining berries that hadn't spilled from her mouth. "Your face is totally stained. Busted."

* * *

Back at the mansion, the pair deposited the berries on the kitchen bar. Piper wrote out a quick note letting Yael know that she could do as she pleased with the fresh berries as long as tarts were included and fresh heavy whipping cream. She added a huge smiley face in hopes that Yael would know the restrictions were a joke.

Both Alex and Piper were impressed with the culture of Donovan. They had taken some time to look at all of the photographs in their room as well as the common area of the bed and breakfast. Laura and Taylor had really done their homework in restoring this house and in capturing the original feel.

Soon the women had showered the dirt of the farm off of themselves and redressed into clothes a little more suitable for dinner. While still casual, they both looked sharp. Alex had on black skinny jeans, a gray three quarter sleeve scoop neck sweater, and black motorcycle boots. Piper had selected a royal blue lightweight cotton dress which landed about mid-calf and hugged all her curves in just the right places.

As they made their way downstairs, they stopped in the kitchen. Noticing the berries were gone, Piper turned to Alex. "It's eerie what a good hostess Yael is. I never heard her come into the house!" Alex agreed.

* * *

Piper was excited to eat at the local seafood restaurant for several reasons. One, she loved seafood. And secondly, last night they had heard bits and pieces of how Taylor and Laura had met. Piper was always a sucker for a good love story.

As the women walked towards the front door of the restaurant, a little red-headed girl broke free from her family and came running over to them and flung herself around Alex's legs. "Taylor, Laura, I haven't seen you in ages! I've missed you." She was chattering non-stop and Piper couldn't get her to stop long enough to explain. A tall red-headed man walked up, stopping short of hugging Piper. A strange looked crossed his face as he pulled his daughter back.

"Ummm you aren't Laura and Taylor are you? You are the soap ladies. Taylor gave me a heads up..." He held out his hand. "I'm Tom. Tom Griffith. And this firecracker here is Suzanna, my daughter."

Alex grasped his hand firmly. "Alex. Alex Vause and my wife Piper. You are part owners of the bed and breakfast right? Ancestors of the original family." Tom's face showed his surprise that she knew who he was.

Piper kneeled down to Suzie's height. "And you are named after your great, great, great grandmother. Is that right?" Suzie nodded then looked up at her dad with a confused look on her face. "It's okay. I'm not Taylor but she's my friend. I know I look just like her, and it's very confusing. She said you take care of her and Laura's dogs." This seemed to ease Suzie's mind and give her something else to chatter about as she talked about the antics of Choc and Peep.

The rest of Tom's family walked over for introductions and soon they excused themselves so that Alex and Piper could have dinner. "I wonder if this is the way it's going to be all night!" Alex and Piper both laughed as they stepped into the restaurant.


	19. Halloween in Donovan

The streets of downtown Donovan were decorated to the hilt for Halloween. The majority of the stores were going to be handing out candy for the little trick or treaters who made the trek around the downtown square. Then as dark fell, it would get a bit spookier for the older kids. Natasha and Boo were pumped about the plans they had made for The Place. Alex and Piper had been convinced to stay another night to participate in the miniature haunted house organized.

There was a sandwich board about half a block up the street warning parents that they may not want to bring younger children into the store but perhaps to simply let them get candy on the outside of the store and move on. Typically, the older trick or treaters came later anyway, but they didn't want young children going in by accident. Yael served as a gate keeper to make sure the older kids were spaced out evenly.

All trick or treaters were greeted outside by Laura who was appropriately dressed as a tall, dark vampire and Taylor who was a blonde witch with a large hump on her shoulder. As the older children began to arrive, Taylor challenged the kids if they had the nerves and guts it took to make it through the "Cafe of Darkness". It was just cheesy enough to lower their guard, especially for the teenagers.

One small group was made up of a few of the star football players from the local high school. The quarterback and captain of the team had his arm wrapped around his girlfriend in an act of bravado. They entered through the ripped curtains and were met with a blast of cold air which brought chill bumps to their arms. A dark and spooky path had been laid out through the small cafe. Sheets were draped along the booths and barstools. Spider webs, flashing black cats, and old portraits adorned the walls.

Various workers were standing around like statues and would suddenly move to grab the kids as they walked by or simply brush their arm while whispering softly in their ears. Periodically something would run across the participants' feet, making them jump. Of course a moaning and wailing sound track enhanced the spooky scene. Each human scream enhanced the terror of those coming along behind them.

Lights flashed and a small, blood covered figure in a gown caught the eye of the group of high schoolers. "Dude look," the large quarterback grabbed on to his friend while tightening his grip on his girlfriend. The small group stopped, mesmerized. "Someone's over there in the corner." The lights flashed again and the figure disappeared. "Woah! No dude, I'm serious." He took a cautious step towards the back as the lights flashed again and the small girl was again standing away in the back corner. The athlete pulled his girlfriend towards the girl. "She looked hurt or lost maybe. I have to see if she's ok." The lights flashed again. No girl.

"Is anyone there? Are you okay? I can help." He took one more step as the lights flashed again and an image of a bloodied face of a young girl appeared right in front of him along with a blood curdling scream from the speakers beside the image of the girl. Instinctively he punched as his own high pitched scream echoed in the cafe. His hand connected with a flexible screen onto which the images had been projected. He jumped back, girlfriend's hand still in his and said "Fuck! Come on. Let's get out of here."

The quarterback tripped over his feet as the people behind the group prevented them from going backwards and a metal railing kept them from cutting across. Their only option was to follow the path laid out by the devious planners.

A handful of mirrors lined the walls with various figures appearing to attempt to get out of their glass prison. As the group passed the last mirror, a hand actually reached through and grabbed the lead boy by the shoulder. He screamed again and struggled to get away. His friends, while slightly afraid themselves, were having more fun laughing at him.

He ripped away and stumbled towards the door when a tall, blonde figure stepped in front of him. Piper summoned her most ominous yet solemn voice. "You shall not pass," she commanded. While her zombie like make-up was quite good, he knew Taylor and Laura well enough to recognized the person, or so he thought.

"Fuck Taylor let me out of here. I hate you." His voice was shaking as he was visibly upset. Without warning, a growling noise filled the room and another zombie stepped forward with a chainsaw. The boy froze in his tracks. A menacing brum-brum-brum-brum sound turned into a high pitched rev'ing noise Alex pulled the trigger on the chainless chainsaw. "Damn it Laura!" This time the boy did stumble and fall as the chain saw was brought over the second zombie's head and slashed down until fake blood spurted out of the now crumpled first body.

His girlfriend quickly forgotten, he slipped and slid through the thick liquid covering the floor towards the door. By the time the captain of the football team made it to the door, he was crying. He ripped the door open and stumbled out, panting. Once he had calmed his breath and his girlfriend and other friends had exited laughing up a storm, the real Taylor and Laura decided to go in for the kill. Laura raised her hands and cape over his head while Taylor let out her best witch cackle. He looked at them, then took a confused glance at the café door and took off.

There was no staying in character now. Alex and Piper had followed this group out as they could not keep their composure. Taylor pressed a flyer into the quarterback's girlfriend's hands. "There are night vision cameras around the café. This is your group number. Pictures will be uploaded by tomorrow."

* * *

Eventually the crowd dwindled down and the decision was made to shut down the café for the night. Happy that the doors and windows were covered in black butcher paper, the lights were flipped on. All of the workers fell into various booths as Laura pulled out an ice chest of beer from the back, passing them around to the crew.

" _That_  was something else. Here's to Natasha and Boo for their awesome planning." Taylor lifted a beer in toast.

"And here's to Alex and Piper helping scare the total  **shit** out of the town's star quarterback." Natasha was still laughing so hard she could barely get her salute out. "I think having you two here was the bees knees and really enhanced the experience for these scared teens that didn't know what hit them. Double trouble."

Laughing and joking, they recalled some of their favorite groups to come through that night. Laura was looking forward to getting the pictures from the cameras uploaded. Eventually all of the café employees looked around and groaned as they realized the mess that needed to be cleaned up. A better sound track was put on the sound system and everyone worked as a team so they would be ready to open first thing in the morning.

* * *

"Okay Pipes, ready to go?" Alex grabbed the luggage as she headed for the door. She turned back to her wife as she waited for an answer. Piper on the other hand, hadn't moved from the position in which she was standing. Her focus was on the interior of the room as she took in one last check of the bed and breakfast. Not disturbing her wife, Alex smiled in admiration, before opening the door taking one last look back. "I'll take the bags to the van."

Battling with the luggage and the doors, Alex slowly, but surely managed to get to the back doors of the rental van. Fumbling for the keys to unlock it, she was interrupted by the shouting come from in the distance.

Her face dropped when she saw what was heading towards her. Before she had time to compose herself from the fear, she stumbled on her feet. Alex was pushed back against the van, her legs pinned. Looking at her feet, she saw a brown dog tugging at the bags on the ground.

"Choc!"

Alex head turned to the side, then back to the dog.

"Choc! Come here. I'm sorry. She just gets excited."

Slightly confused by the familiarity of the blonde that was walking towards her, Alex shook her head. She looked down to the pup, and then realized that the blonde was Taylor. Alex put on a brave face as she moved away from the van slightly, waving her hand in dismiss. "It's… It's fine."

Taking in a deep breath, Alex adjusted herself, standing up straight as she tried to put on a happy face. Smiling in the direction of her hostess, Alex had not seen the yellow bundle of fur that was now running towards her. Jumping up, the dog had knocked into Alex and was wagging her tail as she waited for some attention. Not wanting to come across as weak, Alex dropped her hand down, gently petting the dog before pulling her hand back and trying to turn to the back doors of the van to load the luggage. Both dogs continued to jump on her legs.

"Awww. They want some attention."

Looking over her shoulder, Taylor and Laura were now standing behind Alex, laughing at the dogs as they continued to clamor for attention. Alex looked down at the brown and yellow dogs and then in the direction of the door. With no sign of Piper, Alex closed her eyes. The quick pats weren't enough, and she couldn't ignore the puppies in front of their owners. Placing the bags into the back of the van, she lowered herself to the dogs' level, stroking them both slightly as she tried to stand back up. However, both dogs were persistent in what they wanted. Fighting for Alex's attention, they prevented Alex from standing back up.

Hoping to get the excitement over and done with as quickly as possible, she petted them some more. With a slight word to each dog, as she tried her best to act thrilled lowering her head to show interest them. She was greeted with kisses, nice sloppy kisses. Alex hoped that it was not obvious to Laura and Taylor that she was cringing. Animals just weren't her thing.

Alex's eyes closed as she tried again to pull back. She heard a more familiar voice approach and sighed with relief. As she opened her eyes, she saw Piper walking quickly towards her. Alex quickly noted that Piper's attention was on the dogs and not her. She was fully aware that this wasn't over, and she was going to have to suffer in fear some more.

Piper plopped down on the porch and called to the dogs who immediately rushed over. She laughed and giggled as she asked Taylor and Laura questions about them – how long had they had them, what breed were they, how did they get their names. The questions seemingly went on forever.

Eventually Piper ran out of questions. Both women thanked their hosts and promised to return. Laura grabbed hold of the dogs' collars so Alex could pull herself into the driver's seat and leave without incident.

* * *

As Alex and Piper headed back home, there was silence for a period of time as both women decompressed from their exciting mini-vacation. Eventually they began to share what was on each of their schedules for the following week. The grand opening of Popi's was the big event and Piper had to get herself mentally back in the business mind-set.

As they neared the city limits, Piper piped up. "Al…"

Knowing what was coming, Alex immediately interrupted. "No."

"But Al…"

"Piper! No!"

"Didn't you see how cute they were? Can we?"

"No."

"Please."

"No." Alex wasn't budging.

"Why not? I want a pet."

"We have penguins at home Piper."


	20. Popi's Grand Opening

Piper pushed open the door to Popi's storefront. "Hello? Hello! Is anyone here?" Piper walked around checking out the displays to see how much work had been completed in her absence. She was pleasantly surprised to see that the store was virtually ready for the opening which was in two days' time. Piper wandered to the back office.

Diane was seated at the computer concentrating on the screen. Piper knocked on the door. Slightly startled, Diane spun around. Her face spread into a large smile as she saw her daughter-in-law. "Piper! Hi. I didn't hear you come in."

"I guess we need to fix that, eh? I'll see about an alert system to notify staff working in the back whenever the front door is opened." Piper bent down and gave Diane a hug. "Oh – the store looks great. I really appreciate all the time you and the ladies spent getting Popi's ready."

"Of course, that's why you hired me. Did you enjoy your weekend? I loved the pictures you sent! I want to have some of the ones of Alex with the calf framed to go alongside the tegu."

Piper chuckled. "I have a ton more pictures. Oh Diane, we had a blast. Taylor and Laura's place is amazing. We stayed an extra night to help out with the mini-haunted house at their bakery in town. We freaked out so many kids. It was great. It certainly was an experience to remember. I am so glad we met these people. And that they are customers are simply a bonus."

"I want to hear all about it! Maybe you two can share the stories tomorrow night at family dinner." Diane's voice was hopeful. When Piper didn't immediately answer, Diane continued. "I mean, I understand if we have to cancel dinner because of the store opening…"

Piper stopped her. "I think we can manage dinner. We have to eat, right?" Diane nodded. "Will Lee be joining us?" Diane ducked her head down. Piper was quiet for a moment before she continued. "Diane… may I ask you? What's going on with you and Lee?" Diane didn't respond.

A deep, husky voice came from behind the two. "Yes mom, what's going on with you and Lee?" Piper turned to find her wife standing behind her looking at her mother.

Despite the deep breath her mom took in, Diane's voice still came out shaky. "It's hard to explain Al. I'm not sure you would understand."

Alex crossed her hands over her chest. "Try me."

"Hon I think deep down inside, you have always known how I feel about your father. I loved him before, and I still love him today." Diane looked at her daughter and then at Piper.

"Are you two dating?" Alex was matter of fact with her question.

Diane looked down then back up to lock eyes with her daughter. "Yes Alex. Your father and I are seeing each other. And you," Diane poked her daughter in the chest, "will not interfere."

Piper took the opportunity of the lull to speak up. "So four for dinner tomorrow, right?"

* * *

Piper and Polly had arrived at Popi's several hours early to make sure their game plan for the grand opening was on point. All of the staff were on hand for the inaugural sales day. Daya, Sophia, and Diane had spent countless hours making sure the floor layout was perfect and the displays were immaculate. A sharp rap on the door interrupted the pre-sales meeting. Huffing, Polly opened the door to Nicky. Her gruff demeanor quickly softened as she saw the huge fresh flower bouquet Nicky was toting.

"Your store looks great Polly. But we over at Alley's decide that you needed a wee bit more beauty over here. Not that your help isn't gorgeous enough." Nicky sent a wink towards the group of women. Polly made a place for the flowers on the front counter so that Nicky could deposit the spray.

"Thanks Nicky. This was very thoughtful of your team. Please sure to share my appreciation to all the girls."

"Remember that boss lady has some of us on call if needed. We are only a phone call away." With a final wink, Nicky turned on her heel and left.

Everyone made final checks of their area and took their places. The store was divided much like the production areas upstairs, floral fragrances in one section and earthy ones in another. Because of the candles and lotion, vanilla had its own area. As opening time approached, a crowd gathered outside. Piper took her place behind the register as Polly unlocked the doors to allow people entrance.

Apparently the advertising had been quite successful as the sales were brisk and the stream of customers did not stop. Piper had been keep her eye on the floor as she rang up purchases. When laying out the store, a decision had been made to have storage space under all of the displays whether it be inside a lower cabinet or behind a table cloth. Piper watched as Daya, Sophia, and Diane kept the tables fully stocked. But Piper did not miss the anxious looks as supplies began to run low. Piper grabbed her phone and called Alex.

Within a few minutes, Taystee, Poussey and Nicky came from across the street. While jeans and t-shirts weren't exactly Popi sales team attire, that did not matter. Piper quickly directed them upstairs to gather product to restock not only the rapidly emptying shelves, but also the storage areas beneath. The bartenders worked silently and efficiently, respecting the important of what needed to be done for this important day. Once they had stocked all that they could and checked with Piper, they bid adieu to their friends and headed back to the bar.

* * *

Once the last customer had left and the doors were locked, all five women went upstairs and collapsed in the commons area of the original workspace. "That," Polly said, "was exhausting." Most of the women were even too tired to speak so they rested their feet. "It went well, don't you think?" Everyone nodded their head in agreement then the room fell silent.

Eventually Piper spoke up. "I'm going to make an executive decision. If you guys are as tired and as hungry as I am, you are in no mood to restock and get ready for tomorrow. How about we just call it a day and come in early again tomorrow to prepare for the day?" Heads nodded in agreement all the way around. "I say we move this party over to Alley's. Food and drinks for the night are on Popi's tab. This is a business expense if there was ever one."

"I'm going to close out the register and get the proceeds into the safe, and then I'll be over." Polly had been greeting customers all day and need some quiet time by herself for a bit.

"Don't take too long Pol. I'll put your order in so we can all eat together."

* * *

Polly took her time in closing up the shop before heading across the street. As evident by the shot glasses, beer bottles, and drink glasses, everyone was already a drink or two into their 'relaxing'. As she slid into the place next to Piper, Alex immediately dropped drinks in front of her. "Congrats Polly. I hear your opening was a success?"

Polly beamed at the praise of her business partner's wife's praise. "I think so. I hope it continues."

As the drinks continued to come, Luscheck soon did his part in delivering the food. The five women wasted no time in digging into to the burgers and shared fries around the table. It wasn't long before everyone was leaned back in their chairs or against the bench wall, rubbing their stomachs in satisfaction.

The small group was readying to leave because the next morning was going to bring another busy day. A commotion came from the back of the bar as all of the bartenders, led by Luschek exited the kitchen and began to sing as they marched towards Popi's team. When Polly saw the cupcake with its single candle, she slumped back in her chair. "Damn it," she muttered under her breath.

Polly folded her arms on the table and buried her head. "Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to YOU. Happy birthday dear Pooooooollllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. Happy birthday to YOU!" Everyone cheered and clapped. Polly sighed as she lifted her head and glared at Nicky, the known ringleader of this tradition.

Nicky laughed as she shouted. "Make a wish! Make a wish! Make a wish!" She began clapping in cadence and encouraged the bar patrons to do the same. Finally, Polly just blew out the candle as everyone cheered.

* * *

Alex fiddled with the two stuffed penguins on the counter in front of her. They were identical except the tufts of pink hair sticking up from one. With a hand on each, she leaned down to speak to the animals. "You two don't want siblings do you?" Alex took the one with pink hair and turned her side to side and spoke in a high pitched voice. "No mama Alex. Squee, squee, squee no. We like it being just us." Alex brought Pal to her face. "You like being just the two of you, huh Pal?" Alex wiggled the other penguin. "Squee, squee. We don't want to share you and mama Piper. And there's no room on the shelf at the bar anyway. No brother or sister please."

Alex chuckled as she continued to amuse herself. She looked down seriously at the penguins. "That's what I thought, too, gals. You have to help me with your other mom though. Check these out." Alex slid out several slick flyers onto the counter. "I think this will distract her for a while. What do you chicks think of a house?" Alex picked both of the penguins up for a more animated conversation.

"Oh, oh, oh squeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Can we have a pool?" Pal was ecstatic. "I want a pool with a slide."

Penny wasn't about to be outdone. "Squee, squee, squee. I want a big, huge freezer!"

"A freezer?" Alex asked.

"Yeah mom. For fish pops! Squeeeeeeeee!"

Alex chuckled as she set the stuffed animals down. When she heard a shuffling behind her, Alex jumped and turned to see Piper standing in the doorway. Alex narrowed her eyes trying to not show her embarrassment at getting caught with the stuffed animals." What the fuck? How long have you been standing there?"

Piper approached Alex, wrapping her arms around her waist. "Long enough to see you having a full conversation with our 'kids'." Piper made air quotes with her fingers. "You… are adorable." Piper pecked Alex on the cheek. She reached around Alex and grabbed the flyers. "What are these?" Piper flipped through the pages. "Have you been looking at houses?"

"Ummm well now that Popi's opening is over and things are hopefully going to get less stressful for you, I … errrr… not really. These are just a few flyers I picked up for the penguins to show you as a surprise and to broach the subject."

Piper turned to the stuffed animals. "Pal and Penny, thanks girls. But you know… a house means a backyard. And you know what a backyard means? … A PUPPY!" If stuffed penguins could roll their eyes, they definitely would!


	21. You Want Me to WHAT?

Alex blew out a deep breath as she poured herself a stiff drink. She was violating two of her own key policies – drinking on the job  _and_  drinking alone. But she needed this. The past five weeks had been difficult as she supported Piper through the opening of Popi's storefront while minimizing her own issues. There was absolutely no way Alex would put a damper on the recent excitement of the apparent success of the little store across the street. Now her personal issues had built up and weighed heavily on Alex's mind.

After downing the first drink, she poured herself another then screwed the cap on the bottle as if that would keep her from drinking more. As she lifted the glass to her lips, a voice startled her into almost dropping the whiskey. "Drinking alone, boss? Must be pretty serious. Trouble on the home front?" Nicky walked up from the back of the bar lugging a case of beer.

Alex looked at her friend mournfully.

"Did you forget I was opening today?"

"I guess so."

"Then good – that means you don't get your hand slapped for drinking before work and alone. What's up Vause?" Nicky set down the beer and hopped up on a stool next to her friend.

Alex downed the second drink easily. "It's personal Nicky. I don't know if I'm ready to get into it."

* * *

**_Flashback five weeks ago_ **

The first family night after Halloween had been fairly uneventful. Lee had come for a fairly subdued evening with the three Vause women. Alex had resigned herself to support and respect her mother's choices as Diane had backed every decision she herself had made her entire life.

Piper had tried to keep the mood light by chattering on about Halloween weekend at the Donovan Manor and the haunted house at the café. Afterwards, they looked at pictures that had been moved to Piper's iPad, with mostly Piper and Diane giggling. Lee had wisely kept quiet for the most part just observing the interactions among the trio. Lee's attendance on family night was hit and miss. Alex never knew when he'd show up, and frankly she felt relieved when he didn't. Then she felt guilty for feeling relieved.

As well, Popi's grand opening had gone off without a hitch, and business seemed to be staying steady. Bath goods had been flying off the shelves along with online orders. Polly had hired additional staff to keep up with the demand. Piper and Diane had been spending an extraordinary amount of time together as they continued to sort out the details of the operation of the store. Late nights were becoming something of the norm as of recent.

One particularly late evening, Alex decided to take some food over to her mother and spouse as it was shaping up to be another late night. She gathered the brown bags and made her way across the street and up the stairs to Piper's office. She juggled the bags as she opened the door, pushing it back with her foot. Before Alex could call out to announce her arrival, she heard raised voices coming from the office area.

"No Diane. Absolutely  _not_. I've supported you before and it backfired, costing me Alex's trust. But this – no way in hell." Alex could not hear the other side of the conversation but could hear the pleading tones in her mom's voice. "I'm sure as hell not going to do your dirty work. And even if you ask her, she didn't outright laugh in your face, Alex and I would have to have a serious discussion about it. She's my  _wife_  Diane. As for now, I am not subjecting her to this."

Alex made her way back to the office. "Subjecting me to what?" Alex plopped the bag of food down and pulled out a fry. "It's late. I bought food. The door was open. Now tell me what you were arguing about. You two _never_ argue."

Piper rolled her eyes and turned her back to Diane. "I'm not getting involved. Thanks for the burgers Alex, but I've lost my appetite." Piper's disgust was evident. "I'm going to head home and let you two talk." She did not give Alex time to protest as she kissed Alex on the cheek and left, slamming the office door on the way out.

"Wow. Subtle. Mom, what's up? Piper doesn't get this upset. It's not in her nature. What did you do to her?"

"Alex, can we sit for this?" Worry was etched across Diane's face as she knew she had to be completely honest with her daughter.

"Okay – shoot."

"Lee has been clean and sober for eight years."

"Seriously Mom? You and Piper were arguing about my sperm donor being on the wagon? Come on! Aren't we past that?"

"Alex!" Diane's voice was sharp. "Please be respectful. You know how I feel about the man. Anyway as I said, he's been clean for eight years. When he was still using heroin, he used quite heavily. Apparently heroin abuse has been associated with high levels of protein in the urine, a condition that can lead to kidney failure. This could be caused from anything from contamination or toxins in what is used to cut the drugs."

Alex scoffed as she unwrapped her burger. "Oh look, my mom is now an expert on the effects of heroin on the human body." As much as she tried, she couldn't keep the sarcasm from her voice.

"Anyway one night after a gig, Lee partied a little too hard and overdosed. While it was obviously non-fatal, the OD sent him into a coma and his muscles began to break down. Rhabdomyolysis I believe it's called. The chemicals released by rhabdomyolysis are destructive to the kidneys." Diane zoned out a little before continuing. "This was when Lee decided to get clean. He went into rehab and hasn't touched a drug since."

"Good for him," Alex scoffed. "So what's this about kidney damage." Alex wiped her greasy mouth with a napkin.

"Sometimes dialysis helps with recovery. However, in Lee's case, dialysis has not been able to reverse the damage." Diane locked eyes with her daughter. "Lee needs a transplant. He's been on the UNOS list for five years."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Alex replied. She did feel sympathy for her father, but she wasn't quite sure what this had to do with the argument she had walked in on between her wife and mother. "So why were you and Piper arguing?"

Diane's hands started shaking, her nervousness obvious. "I've done a lot of research, Al, about kidneys."

"Cut to the chase Mom."

"I wanted Piper to ask you to consider a directed donation."

Alex was stunned. "… You WHAT?"

Diane's voice was quiet. "I would like for you to be tested for compatibility for a directed donation of one of your kidneys Alex. He's so far down the UNOS list. I don't think he'll ever get a kidney though normal channels. I thought maybe you could see if by chance you two were compatible."

"You. Want me. To give my sperm donor. A kidney? He wouldn't even give us the time of day after you got pregnant, and now you want me to save his life?" The longer Alex talked, the louder her voice got. "Is this why the motherfucker found us in the first place? He didn't want to make amends. He came here, got back into your good graces…. to get you to ask me for a fucking BODY PART? That mother fucker! I'm going to kill him" By this time, Alex had stood and was furiously pacing the floor.

"Al, Al no. Listen to me." Diane stood and tried to calm her daughter. "He emphatically instructed me to NOT tell you. He doesn't want you involved in this in anyway, not even to know what was going on. It's just that there have been some complications and his kidneys are failing at a faster rate than expected. He's having to go in more often for dialysis. I've been trying to take him when I can, and he's absolutely miserable. He's going to kill me for telling you. But I couldn't live with myself if I didn't at last ask you to help the man  **I**  love. The man who gave  **you**  life."

Alex shoved the rest of the bag towards her mother. "I'll think about it. Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to join Piper at home. I think I've lost my appetite as well."

* * *

**_Back to present day_ **

"I've got an idea boss. Why don't you go see that hot blonde of yours? She always seems to cheer you up! I can cover the bar for a bit."

"Thanks Nic, I think I will."

Alex headed across the street. As she peeked in the front window, she didn't see Piper so she headed up the stairs to Piper's office.

"Knock, knock."

"Hey babe, come on in. What's up?" Piper spun in her chair to face Alex.

"What do you mean what's up? Can't a woman come over to see her wife without a reason?"

Piper picked up and waved her phone. "Nicky texted me. She said I might need to get out the old Grump Eraser for your visit." Piper chuckled. "Do you remember when that's one of the things they used to always call me? I love your staff."

Alex pulled up a straight chair next to Piper's desk and straddled it, laying her head on her arms.

"What's wrong babe?"

"Who says anything is wrong Pipes?"

Piper leaned forward until her nose was touching Alex's. "Come on. You are my wife, my true love, my one and only. Believe it or not, I have noticed that you've been off the past week or so. Talk to me. I can't help unless you do."

Alex took in a deep, cleansing breath and released it. "Don't be mad Piper. I know we talked about it, but I went and got tested anyway."

Piper did not react. "I take it you got the results back." Alex nodded. "And?"

Alex closed her eyes. "I'm a match. But…" she added quickly. "Nobody knows. Not Lee and definitely not my mom. I've been through all of the tests. That's why I've been kind of out of pocket recently. I am sorry for keeping this from you, but I honestly didn't think I'd match. I figured I could go through all of this, not be a match then I could go on and live my life. But now… now I don't know what to do."

Piper put her hand on her wife's shoulder and moved forward to nuzzle in her hair. "It's okay Al," she murmured. "Whatever you choose, we'll make it through. Together."

Alex pulled a brochure from her back pocket. "This. This bothers me. These are the areas of psycho-social factors. Yeah, I'm a physical match, but I have to go through a few rounds of counseling as well."

Piper picked it up and began to read. "I am intellectually ready. I am emotionally ready. I am physically ready. I am financially ready. I am spiritually ready. These are some pretty deep readiness statements. You are a strong person Alex. I have faith in you."

"I'm worried Piper. First of all, do I want to go through with this? For example – spiritual readiness… 'I am driven to donate by the right motives.' Seriously? I'm driven to give a piece of my body to a man I hated all my life because my mother is in love with him and it's the right thing to do for her. What a load of crap."

"I know this is a lot to bear right now Alex. I wish you hadn't have gone through all of this on your own. We are supposed to depend on each other – the whole in sickness and in heath thing Alex. When are you telling your mom?"

"Not yet. I won't tell her until I decide and only then if I decide to go forward with the transplant." Alex lifted her head off her arms and gazed into Piper's eyes. "I love you Pipes." She pressed her lips against Piper's. "But please – no word to my mom just yet. I don't want to get her hopes up."

"I love you, too. And agreed on Diane. But … you need to cheer up. I can't handle mopey Alex." Piper pulled out a pile of listings from her desk drawer. "Oh check these out. I thought maybe we could go house hunting on our days off. Get our realtor to line up our favorites to check out…"

With a heavy weight lifted from her chest, Alex grinned for the first time in weeks. "Hell yeah. Plus I've been thinking. This house deal is a must. If I go through with this surgery, I want you settled in a house beforehand. Just in case."

"Nothing is going to happen to you Alex."

"Still…"

* * *

Feeling much lighter, Alex made her way downstairs. Now that she had unburdened her soul to her wife, she felt a little better about talking to her mother. So she made a quick detour into Popi's storefront. "Mom?" Alex looked around the boxes of small soaps and displays of candles and lotions.

"Back here dear." Alex and Diane spent some time visiting before Diane had to push her out the door so she could get busy with her own tasks.

Alex walked backwards towards the door. "Later Mom." As she turned to head out the door, she ran full steam into Polly. "Oops. Sorry Polly. I didn't see you."

" 's okay. Hey, can I talk to you a bit?" Polly motioned outside. "It won't take long." The two women stepped out the door. "So Alex. You know how Nicky gets off on singing Happy Birthday to me and all sorts of other horrendous things?" Alex chuckled and nodded her head. "I've been wracking my brain on how to get back at her."

Alex thought for a moment before thinking. "Nicky is constantly giving me shit, too. I'd love to see her knocked down a few notches. Then again she's my best bartender. So maybe something just to make her speechless."

Polly's smile spread across her face. "So you'll help me?"

Alex nodded. "You know; I think I just might have an idea. Let me see if I can call in a favor or two."

* * *

Alex sat on the doorstop and flipped through several YouTube videos until she found just the right one that wouldn't reveal her hand. She sent it in a text to Nicky.

_Hey Nic – can you work this into a routine? ~A_


	22. Cups

Alex pulled up to the next house on their list. While sitting in the driveway waiting for their realtor catch up to them, Piper began to read off the details about this property. "This is a four bedroom, two and a half bath. Ranch style, obviously." Piper motioned to the outside. "Do you like this style? Simple, one-story?"

Alex leaned forward so she could see around Piper to peer at the dwelling. "I think I do. It's modest and unassuming. I love the brick. And the oak trees are gorgeous."

"The inside was completely updated two years ago, so we don't have to worry about that." Another car pulled in beside them. "Let's go see this place."

* * *

Many houses later, Alex was exhausted. "Pipes, surely with all the houses we saw… something had to tickle your fancy."

Somehow Piper still was full of energy. "Several of them caught my attention Al. This is all so exciting." Piper's enthusiasm showed in her clapping like a child. "I've never looked at anything larger than the apartment in which we live now. Come on, you have to admit. It is indeed exhilarating."

"Yes honey, it is sensational." Alex's sarcasm was not dampening Piper's mood. "Truthfully, I'm ready to throw in the towel at least for today." Alex cringed as she saw Piper's face drop. "Babe, I loved some of the houses. How about we go to dinner? Your choice! And we can go through all the houses we saw today and see what we can sort out."

"My choice?" This perked Piper up slightly. "How about that new Indian place across town?"

Alex wrapped her arms around her wife. "I am glad we did look at the houses. There are some definite contenders babe." She pressed her lips against Piper's cheek. "Come on, let's eat!"

* * *

Business at Popi's was booming. Visitors to the storefront were steady, often clearing out popular flavors of soaps on a daily basis. The lotion and candles were also turning out to be quite popular. When the numbers came back from the first full batch from the store, Piper and Polly turned to discussions about introducing additional flavors, this time on the floral side. Because of the ease of making the lotion and candles from the same recipes as the soap, Polly wanted to try a unique approach.

"Let's keep the vanilla lotion and soap because we know it is a good seller. But for new scents, let's only manufacture one at a time, a limited edition of sorts. Perhaps if customers perceive a limited supply of the scent, they will snap up the supplies at a rapid rate. Each 'new' release will be sold one batch at a time before we move to the next batch."

"Ooh, I like that Pol. Good thinking. I'll pull the sales numbers and let's take a look at an order to release the new lotions and candles."

From Founder's Inn, Yael had put in a standing order for the hotel sized soaps and room lotions which were stocked in the rooms as well as the small candles burned in each room. In addition, the regular sized products were selling like hot cakes from the bed and breakfast as well. So Yael placed a large order so that she would be able to keep items in stock.

As Daya set about filling these two orders, Piper gave her the wish list of all of Taylor and Laura's employees so that their gift bags could be created. This would go over well with the new friends they had made over Halloween. She and Polly had decided this was the least that could be done in exchange for all of the business that was coming their way from Donovan.

As the business partners continued to go over their numbers, another conversation was generated, ways to increase production to keep up with demand. "We could put in another set of tables with another row of crock pots and molds." Polly spun in the chair in Piper's office. "Maybe we need to start up a second shift of workers."

Piper clicked several keys and printed out some papers from a program on which she was working. "Here Polly. This is the business we've done since opening the storefront and the projections simply for the rest of this year. Would another shift be realistic?"

The two studied the numbers and graphs and discussed available options. "Piper, I think you are right. If business continues on this track," Polly tapped the projections, "we probably need to look into a production facility. I don't want to outsource, but with commercial sized vats and molds, we could definitely churn out more product. Super sizing would boost production but still let us keep our homemade essence. We might even be able to automate packaging if we could get the machinery at the right cost."

Piper slipped the report into a file in her desk drawer. "Then let's keep an eye on the numbers and see where they go."

* * *

It was a rare occasion that Polly joined Alex and Piper for an evening at Alley's. "So to what do we owe the pleasure of your company Polly?"

"What? Can't a gal spend some time with her best friend without being questioned? Geesh?"

"You'll probably get a birthday cupcake again Pol. Nicky loves teasing you." Piper nudged her friend with her shoulder.

Polly snuck a grin in Alex's direction. "You never know."

The trio settled mid-way through the bar against the wall with drinks in hand, ready to enjoy the evening at hand. Alex had told Piper it was going to be a flip night, but hadn't told her much more. But Piper always loved the entertainment Nicky, Poussey, and Taystee brought to the bar environment. It was evident that the customers did as well.

* * *

Nicky placed two bottles of juice out on the bar and then two bottles of alcohol in front of her. She then got a mixing tin and placed it upside down on the bar directly in front of herself. She looked to her left and to her right where Taystee and Poussey had a similar set up. Knowing that she couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, Nicky wasn't going to sing. She was aware of the incredible voices Poussey and Taystee had and was shocked that they did not begin to sing the song but just hummed out loud.

Trying to concentrate on the routine, Nicky followed the lyrics in her mind wishing one of her fellow bartenders would sing. It would help her keep with the routine. Nicky started alone and went through one full round.

Then Taystee and Poussey joined in, singing. Clapping twice above the tin, they then hit the top of the tins three times, alternating hands and then clapped once.  _I've got my ticket for the long way 'round. Two bottle whiskey for the way._ They picked up the tins slightly, moved them to the side and to set them down with a clang.  _And I sure would like some sweet company. And I'm leaving tomorrow. What'd you say?_

Nicky grinned as hearing the lyrics helped her with the movements they had practiced. Her confidence was bolstered. The three bartenders were in sync. They clapped then turned their hands upside down to grasp the mixing tins to tap the corners on the bar and the opening against their palm.

_When I'm gone, when I'm gone. You're gonna miss me when I'm gone. You're gonna miss me by my hair._

They placed the tin right side up then reversed the process, tapping the bottom to their palms and slamming it back down on the bar. Each bartender dipped a hand into the ice bin and used the metal scoop to drop ice into the right side up tins, the frozen cubes hitting with a clang.  _You're gonna miss me everywhere, oh. You're gonna miss me when I'm gone._

After a measure of both juices into the tins, the bartenders slapped the bar top in front of them. Crossing their left arms over their right, they grasped the alcohol bottles, flipped them upside down to pouring position and poured the right amounts in. Slamming the bottles down, the routine temporarily paused as the drinks were mixed and poured from the tin to a glass and slid down to customers.

As usual on flip night, drinks from organized routines were sold before they were even mixed. The patrons cheered at the newest routine developed by the flip bartenders. The grins from behind the bar were as wide as the ones watching.

As the three started the routine again, the rhythm was even more recognizable. They settled in quickly, singing. Except for Nicky, of course who continued her humming listening to her friends to keep her rhythm. Clap, clap. Tap, tap, tap. Nicky sang the lyrics in her mind.

_I've got my ticket for the long way 'round  
_ _Two bottle whiskey for the way_

Nicky faltered a bit with the routine when a crystal clear voice come from the small balcony seating area. Or was she, herself, singing out loud?

_And I sure would like some sweet company  
_ _And I'm leaving tomorrow. What'd you say?_

A dark haired woman started making her way down the short staircase towards the bar continuing to sing, harmonizing perfectly with Taystee and Poussey.

_When I'm gone, when I'm gone  
_ _You're gonna miss me when I'm gone  
_ _You're gonna miss me by my hair  
_ _You're gonna miss me everywhere, oh  
_ _You're gonna miss me when I'm gone_

When Anna Kendrick stopped to stand in front of the wild haired bartender, Nicky was stunned and stopped mid-routine. Poussey and Taystee were in on the gig, so they were prepared and went right along in cadence with their singing and their flipping routine. Anna continued the song along, eyes glued on to Nicky as though singing directly to Nicky, blue eyes sparkling in jest.

_I've got my ticket for the long way 'round  
_ _The one with the prettiest of views  
_ _It's got mountains, it's got rivers  
_ _It's got sights to give you shivers  
_ _But it sure would be prettier with you_   


_When I'm gone, when I'm gone  
_ _You're gonna miss me when I'm gone  
_ _You're gonna miss me by my walk  
_ _You're gonna miss me by my talk, oh  
_ _You're gonna miss me when I'm gone_

The bar customers went wild as they realized two things – who the singing woman was and that Nicky had been completely flummoxed by her presence. The actress's appearance pretty much halted Nicky's _Cups_ performance.

"What does a girl have to do to get a drink around here?" Anna's sweet yet sarcastic voice shocked Nicky out of her dazed stupor.

"Ummm wh- what would you like?"

The actress peered into the tin Nicky was about to mix. "That first drink looked pretty good. How about one of those?" Nicky nodded.

Despite Nicky's deer eyes looking she was trapped in headlights, she managed to mix the drink without breaking any glass or dropping anything as she made her crush a drink. Meanwhile Anna pulled herself up on a bar stool and tried to distract the bartender as best she could.

Polly grinned and nudged Alex in the ribs. They both were laughing at the shocked look on Nicky's face. This… was turning out to be priceless.

Then Piper realized what had the plan of the night had been. She leaned over and whispered to Polly. "This is you getting back at Nicky's birthday gig, eh?" Polly nodded. "Supreme bud. I've never seen Nicky so speechless."

* * *

Alley's Bar was no stranger to famous people enjoying the drinks and food there. The Food Network had a lot to do with bringing in various celebrities, politicians, and persons of that sort. The bar used their strong social media following to advertise their special nights as well as just general hub bub at the bar. Oftentimes the regular customers were invited to participate to set up certain gigs such as this night. This allowed celebrities to enjoy their stay at Alley's – and imbibe to their hearts content as they stuffed themselves on the great bar food.

All this goes to say that Nicky tried to stay nonchalant about her crush occupying a bar stool in front of her and not talk to her with a super high pitched voice at a high rate. It was a struggle but Nicky did fairly well at keeping her cool.

Nicky was secretly ecstatic that she had practiced her flip moves until she could perform them with perfect muscle memory. No drops, no spills. Stella had drilled that into all three of them, and now it was evident why she was the best flip instructor in the city.

Poussey and Taystee, on the other hand, had no problem hamming up with Anna. When Alex had told them of what she and Polly were planning to get back at Nicky, they had started their planning to have a little bit of fun when Anna was in the bar. They broke out in song again, dancing around each other.

Stepping forward, Poussey started out, "Let's talk about sex  **baby** …" She stepped back, turning to face away from the crowd.

Taystee picked up, " **Baby**  one more time, my loneliness is  **killing** …" Now the women switched the way they faced.

"… **Killing**  me softly with her song, telling my life with her  **words** …," Poussey held her arms and hands out to Anna.

Taystee finished off with " **Words**  are all I have to take your heart away." Then both women bowed.

Anna clapped along with the patrons. "A mini-riff off in my honor. I must say I'm impressed." Taystee and Poussey high-fived each other and went back to flipping bottles to make drinks for the customers.

"Emphasis on  **mini** ," Nicky mumbled.

After posing for selfies for all who asked and signing a movie slick for the bar (even though the movie was in the wrong era), the actress eventually took her leave. The bar stayed abuzz for quite sometime, high off of the energy she left behind. Nicky took a set of drinks over to her boss's table and slid in next to Polly who had a huge grin on her face. "So who the hell used their contacts to get my all-time utmost crush in the bar, and singing on top of that? Boss, I know you had part of a hand in this because you made us learn that particular routine. Who else?"

Polly burst out laughing. Nicky turned and refocused her attention on Polly. "You?" Polly nodded. "Ohhhh, I'm going to get you back Polly."

Polly could barely speak through her laughs. "If you sing the birthday song to me one more song Nicky, the next revenge won't be so sweet for you."


	23. The Transplant

"Sure Piper. Lee hasn't been feeling too well lately, so I'm sure he won't mind skipping a family dinner tonight. I'll make sure to take him a plate after we eat." Diane smiled at her daughter-in-law and went back to the register.

"Thanks Diane. We'll see you tonight. Our place."

Piper didn't bother going upstairs as she wasn't even scheduled to come in on Mondays. She just felt the need to make hers and Alex's request to Diane in person.

* * *

"Mom, I have thought long and hard about what you asked." Alex motioned down towards her groin. "You know, the kidney and all." Diane kept all emotion from her face. It had been several months since she had initially asked her daughter to be tested to donate a kidney to Lee. "You gave up so much for me when I was growing up. Because of that, I am who I am today and where I am today. I will be forever grateful for that." Diane wrapped her arms around herself, anxious as to what was coming next. "I've decided to help Lee out."

"Y-y-you are going to get tested to see if you are compatible."

"No."

The quietness was palpable. "No? You aren't going to get tested?" Diane anxiousness turned to confusion.

Alex's voice softened as she realized her mother had misunderstood. "Mom. I  **did** get tested. I'm a match. I'm going to help Lee out by giving him one of my kidneys." Diane was stunned. "But I have a condition."

"You are going to put a condition on donating a kidney to your father?"

"Yes, and it is non-negotiable…. for now. Lee is never to be told where this kidney came from. He is not to know that I made the directed donation."

Diane's eyes began to tear up. "But… why?"

"Because I'm doing this for you Mom. Not him. And I don't want his thanks or appreciation. There is a program called the Good Samaritan Donation. I've talked to the hospital and his doctors. They have agreed to play it out that way."

"And what about recovery time? It'll be what – up to four weeks before you are on your feet again? What do I tell Lee?"

"You don't tell Lee anything. Piper and I close on our house in a few days. The team at the bar have agreed to move us while I'm in the hospital. After that I am going to spend time convalescing in my new house under the watchful eye of my wife. I don't care what you tell  _Lee_. We've gone on vacation. We're gone on business. Who cares. He gets his kidney."

"Oh Al. I'm not sure how to thank you."

"I don't want thanks Ma. Just remember the condition. Please."

* * *

The doctor found Diane and Piper in the waiting room. They weren't sure whose doctor she was, but the look on her face was not pleasant. She pulled up a stool and sat facing them as she slowly took the scrub cap off her head.

"I'm sorry." Silence. "There were complications. She…" She? Was the doctor talking about Alex? Piper began to shake. "She's still with us, but it was touch and go for quite some time. She's in ICU." The doctor continued her explanation about what had happened.

After a week in critical care, Alex had accepted that she was not improving. While her mind was still fairly strong, her body was rapidly failing. She was putting all of her strength into Piper – building up her mental and emotional base, making memories to ensure Piper wouldn't forget her.

"Did you?" Alex's voice was quiet. Piper could tell knew she was thinking hard. "Did you fuck yourself? Was it as good as me?"

Piper could not respond to the low, rasping moan that represented her wife's voice.

Alex continued to talk. "How many times did you come? Tell me."

Piper lay on the bed next to Alex and leaned down to her face. The words came with difficulty, but she knew Alex wanted to hear it. "Yes, I fucked myself. Nowhere near as good as you fuck me." Tears choked her voice. She stopped, bowing her head to Alex's broken body.

"I want details."

"I lay naked on the bed, slowly rubbing my clit first, playing with the juices your memories stirred out of me. I couldn't think of anything but you... your words, your hands, your feeling me." Piper lifted her head and moved her mouth to Alex's ear. Then she continued breathlessly.

"I couldn't take it anymore; I couldn't hold the need to be fucked. Hard, deep, fast. Closing my eyes, quickly I felt you dig your fingers into me, feeling me again, forcing yourself so deep into me. Each trust from your fingers went deeper, first two, then three, my body exploding."

Piper paused as Alex's breaths were becoming jagged. Tears were rolling down Piper's face. Alex managed to speak again. "Please, go on."

Mustering her strength, Piper obliged. "My hips stirring, trying to open myself for you, trying to get you deep enough to satisfy the ache burning through my entire being. I feel your relentless thrusting into me as I try to fight off the screams, the orgasm. I want more." Piper paused for a moment, thinking of what she had just said knowing there would never be  _more_. Alex had touched her for the last time.

"I could not fight anymore, moving feverishly against you, feeling your tongue thrashing against my clit, feeling the juices flow out of me."

Alex's whole body breathed. Deep, struggling, she was barely hanging on.

Piper whispered softly. "I lay there motionless, unable to move, waking up from the dream of you actually there as I sucked the sweet juices of my pruning fingers."

Piper laid her head on Alex's chest. There were no more breaths. Alex's empty eyes stared at the ceiling as the monitored flat lined. Piper held her limp body and gave Alex her last goodbye. "I love you. You've made love to me with your last breath."

* * *

.

* * *

Piper caught her scream in her throat as she woke up thrashing in the bed sheets drenched in sweat. She looked over to Alex's side of the bed. Her heart bolted within her chest. Alex wasn't there. Piper flopped to her back and took in a deep breath. She knew Alex was anxious about the surgery today despite her spouse refusal to admit it. Apparently from the nightmare she had just experienced, Piper was more nervous than she had realized.

The couple had been over the risk multiple times. After numerous tries to talk Alex out of doing the transplant, Piper finally caved in and decided to support her decision. God. If her dream came true… well Piper just wouldn't let herself think of that.

Piper turned to her side to look at Alex's empty pillow. She spied a piece of paper on top the pillow. Warmth spread through her body as she thought back to the days when Alex and she were dating. Alex had started leaving her little notes, and then Piper had answered in kind. She reached over and pulled the paper towards her and began to read Alex's neat block print.

* * *

_fall_

_the words you whisper feed my desire  
_ _as gusts of wind excite the leaves  
_ _of a september evening  
_ _as your touch leads me safe  
_ _to a place i can lose control  
_ _and be whisked away  
_ _by the rhythm of my quickened pulse  
_ _while you delve into my soul  
_ _and reach that time  
_ _when my sky is softly stroked  
_ _with the colors of the sunset  
_ _and our world is at peace once more  
_ _firm and warm against all threat  
_ _of the coming days of winter  
_ _knowing that with morning  
_ _comes the fresh light of spring  
_ _and that first touch of your breast  
_ _to mine  
_ _sends rays of sunshine  
_ _to my core where winter's fire  
_ _still burns from restful slumber  
_ _and your laughter mocks the birds  
_ _who gladden my heart  
_ _and make me grateful  
_ _to live  
_ _that i may fall again with you_

* * *

Piper read Alex's note a second time. Alex's comforting words pushed the nightmare to the back recesses of her mind. She allowed herself a smile before pulling herself out of bed to head to the kitchen. Not paying attention to where she was walking, she stumbled on a box. "Damn it." She brought her foot up to rub her aching toe.

She heard Alex's deep throaty chuckle as her wife appeared in the doorway with a cup of coffee. "Careful there slick. There are boxes everywhere."

Seeing the coffee in Alex's hand, Piper freaked. "ALEX! You aren't supposed to be drinking anything this morning. You know that."

"I'm not Pipes. This is for you." She handed the steaming mug over. "I see you got my note." Piper smiled softly as she took a sip. "No matter how this goes today Piper, I will  _always_  love you."

"Pshaw, Alex. Everything will be fine. You are tough as nails." That nightmare? Nope. Not happening. Not today.

A fist banging on the door rattled the wall of the apartment. "Hey bitches, open up!" The doorknob jiggled as Nicky tried to get into the flat. When Piper let her and the gang in, Nicky took one look around. "Damn boss, this place is a mess. Looks like you are moving or something."

Poussey chuckled. "Lucky for you, we are here!" She flexed her muscles.

"Yeah and the movers will be here in an hour." Taystee plopped down on the couch. "My ass is just here to supervise."

"Thanks girls. I'll text you when she's safely out of surgery."

* * *

The ride to the hospital was fairly uneventful as both Piper and Alex were quiet. As Piper pulled into a parking slot, she sat for a bit before turning the car off.

"Piper, I've changed my mind."

Piper's eyes enlarged in disbelief. "Alex, you can't. Your mother is in there right now. With your father. They are prepping for surgery as he thinks he's getting a kidney from a friendly stranger. Are you really going to back out of it?"

Alex blew out her breath. "No Pipes. I haven't changed my mind about that. I'm going through with the surgery. I'm dropping the condition. I want him to know. But I want to be the one who tells him."

"Are you sure? You were fairly adamant about this."

"I'm sure."

* * *

"Could they make these things any more revealing?" Alex reached behind her as she tried to hold the edges of her gown together. She shuffled down the hall in attempts to keep any bystander from seeing her ass.

Piper giggled as she pulled Alex's IV while helping Alex keep herself covered. They paused in the door of Lee's room and watched as Diane sat next to a pale Lee, talking animatedly in attempts to distract him. "Yes Lee. We've been through this. The donor program is anonymous…"

Alex cleared her throat. Diane and Lee looked towards the door. Lee was the first to speak. "Alex. I thought you and Piper had gone out of town on a business trip."

"Honey, what are you doing here?” While Diane knew why her daughter was there, she wasn’t sure why she had appeared in Lee’s room in her hospital gown.

Lee finally realized that Alex was wearing a hospital gown. "Yes Alex. What are you doing here? And why are you wearing a hospital gown."

Alex raised her lowered head and looked Lee in the eyes.

Lee looked at Alex then looked at Diane. "The  _Good Samaritan Donation_ , eh? An  _anonymous_  program?"

Diane took a cautious step backwards. Piper grabbed her hand and pulled her close in consolation.

Alex moved forward to stand beside Lee's bed. "Mom didn't deceive you Lee. This was my doing. My mom… she means the world to me. Yes, she asked me to be tested. But this decision…was mine. It was mine and Piper's."

Lee sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. "No."

"What?"

Lee grabbed the IV's attached to his arm and yanked them out. "I. Said. No. Your kidney is not going into my body. I did not come here for this." Lee reached his hand out to Diane, beckoning her over. She rushed over with a four by four gauze pad to put over the blood seeping from the place in his arm where the IV needle had just been.

Lee grabbed Diane's hand. He reached out his other hand to Alex who stood motionless. "I found the two of you for one reason – to make amends for my past actions. While I appreciate your willingness to disrupt your entire life for me, I can't accept it and will not consent. I'm so thankful that I have had this extended time to get to know my daughter and to reunite with Diane. I am at peace with my life. So there will be no surgery. Not today, not ever. I'm taking myself off the donor list."

Diane gasped. "What?"

Alex stepped forward to place her hand on her mom's shoulder. "Lee don't be an ass. Again. We both know I can function with one kidney. I'm a strong woman."

Lee's eyes softened. "I know you are Alex. This isn't about you. I appreciate the lengths you went to for your mother. But the answer is still no." He stood and walked towards the closet. "Now could you ladies excuse me? I'd like to get dressed so I can go home."


	24. Aftermath

Alex wrapped her arm around her mother's shoulder and guided her to the doorway. "Go with Piper Mom." Her raspy voice was low as she maneuvered Diane out. "I'll talk to him."

Lee had his back to Alex and was digging in the closet. He located his clothes and tossed them on the bed. "Leave me alone Alex. I'm not having this surgery. Not today. Not ever."

"Quit being selfish Lee. This transplant… will extend your life, perhaps even save it. We both know it."

"You weren't even supposed to  _know_  I was sick Alex. That's not why I found you and your mother. I only wanted to apologize to Diane. And to you."

"Well you did that Lee. You did that when you first got here. But then you stayed. And now… my mother is love with you dick head.  _What_  is it going to hurt to have this surgery? I'm doing this  _voluntarily_."

Lee's eyes blazed in anger and he spoke through gritted teeth. "Alex if something happened to you, if  _anything_  were to go wrong in that operating room, your mother would be destroyed. And what about Piper? God. I'd have two women devastated. I couldn't do that to them…." He looked at Alex, choosing his words carefully as his voice was softer this time. "Alex, I couldn't do that to you. I just found you. I'm not going to risk losing you."

With a heavy release of breath, Alex approached Lee and placed both hands on his shoulders. "Lee I respect your decision and obviously can't change your mind right now. Just know that the offer is there should you every change your mind." He nodded his head as he seemed to accept that he would not have to defend his decision.

"My staff is supervising movers moving things into our house over the next few days. But how about you get back to your place and family dinner tomorrow? At mom's?"

As she turned to head out to find her mom and Piper, Alex turned to speak over her shoulder. "And Lee… thanks. I have always thought my mom was a happy person. But since you've come into her life, she's happy at a completely different level. Just don't fuck it up."

* * *

After talking with the doctors and filling out the appropriate paperwork, Alex had her IV's removed, dressed quickly. She and Piper were soon on their way to the new house.

"So are you okay with this Alex?" Piper placed her hand over Alex's as she quickly glanced over to her wife then back at the road.

Alex smirked. "Why wouldn't I be? I still have all my body parts"

"Well… I don't know. I'm just checking. You can talk to me you know."

"Yeah. I know." Alex chose to change the subject. "So what do you think we are going to walk in on at our house? I'm afraid Piper, very afraid."

Piper giggled. "With your girls, there is no telling." She pulled alongside the curb and shut off the car. The moving truck was still backed up into the driveway, and things seemed to be moving at a fast clip.

The couple took their time making their way through the front door, making sure to stay out of the way of the movers. Luckily several large boxes hid their arrival. They ducked down behind the boxes so they could observe.

A high society voice, rang out. "Mackenzie. Mackenzie I say. Where shall we put the couch? I believe we should place it along this wall."

Similarly sounding, another squeaky voice answered. "Oh Amanda. No I think it should go along  _this_  wall. Here. Do you know the china cabinet that Todd had shipped over from Italy last year? If we put the couch  _there,_  the cabinet can go  _here_  and display all my fine porcelain ware from my wedding."

"Oh Mackenzie. I do declare. You have such an eye for design. I do believe you are right. Now about the kitchen table."

Nicky's brazen voice punctured the Southern discussion. "What the fuck girls? Can you just push the furniture somewhere, preferably out of the way of the movers? You know boss and blondie will put it wherever they want. Geesh."

Alex stepped from behind the boxes with Piper in tow. "Yeah we will. But you guys are always good for some entertainment."

All three bartenders froze in their place and Nicky's mouth dropped open. "Damn boss that was one quick surgery. You must be super woman to be home this quick. We weren't expecting you for a couple of days."

Alex laughed. "Meh – the bastard refused to go through with it. He found out I was the donor and put his brakes on."

Poussey put down the dust wand she had been using for a directing stick. "Vause I thought he was pretty sick and needed this transplant."

Alex nodded. "Well apparently he feels that mom and Piper need me more than he needs a kidney."

"Wow," Taystee stepped up to give Alex an awkward hug. "That's deep."

Nicky decided to break the tension in the room. "Okay gals, back to work. Just because boss still has all of her organs, we are committed to this move."

Piper pushed up her sleeves. "Put me to work oh mighty one Nicky."

"Naw I think today was probably more intense that you and boss lady are letting on. Why do you two grab a hotel tonight and let us work? We had already planned on it and I bet you two need to process."

Alex looked at Piper with an arched eyebrow then back to her crew. "Are you sure guys?"

Poussey playfully shoved Alex's shoulder. "Get the fuck out of here before we change out minds!"

* * *

Alex booked a room at a quiet local hotel and the two settled in for a bit of relaxation. Since Alex hadn't been able to eat since midnight the previous evening, the first order of business was lunch. Luckily room service was quick and efficient.

Over lunch, Alex relayed what Lee had told her about why he refused the surgery. "I'm not sure how I feel about this Piper. I've hated the man all my life. But this… this … I don't even know what to say."

Piper was less about talking and more about listening as Alex was processing her and Lee's conversation. Nothing she could say would help, so she just let Alex talk. Eventually Alex ran out of steam. About the same time, she realized that Piper had not spoken. "I guess I went a little overboard, huh?"

Piper shook her head. "You just needed to get it all sorted in your mind. Talking through things helps. I don't think you need my opinion Al."

"What if I want your opinion?"

"Well then… I'd have to tell you that words cannot explain how relieved I am that I'm here with you eating lunch than waiting in a hospital to find out if you came through surgery alright. I know you felt you were making the right decision for you. But I also feel Lee made the right decision for him. And I'm thankful to him for that."

* * *

The next day, Piper headed over to Diane's place and let herself in. She and Alex had discussed today's family dinner menu and wanted to get started on the prep work as this was a completely new recipe with unfamiliar ingredients which she had obtained from a tiny meat market she had found in a different part of town.

Alex was at the new house working with the bartenders on unpacking the best they could. Frankly this delighted Piper to no end because she felt that the only worse than packing to move was unpacking. With Alex supervising, any previous concerns about the trio of bartenders she had were absent.

Diane would be home in about an hour so Piper had the place to herself. She cranked up the tunes on her iPhone and danced around the kitchen as she cut meat and vegetables. Cooking was one of the things that Piper enjoyed doing, taking ingredients and creating something totally different. She supposed it was somewhat like she did at Popi's.

Piper poured the white wine and water into the pot in which she'd been working. She stirred this while waiting for the liquid to come to a boil. "Something smells delicious Piper." Diane came home and set her bag on the table. "What's for dinner?"

"A stew! I'm trying a new recipe." Piper slid the meat off the cutting board into the boiling water and then added the remaining prepped ingredients. Once that was brought back to a boil, she reduced the heat to a simmer and covered the pot to allow chemistry to do its thing. All she had left to do was stir periodically.

She clicked off her music and plopped down on the couch to enjoy the silence along with the smells permeating the air. Soon Diane had changed clothes and was back in the living room. Piper motioned to the open bottle of wine and two glasses on the table. Diane poured two glasses and handed one to Piper.

"How's Alex?"

"She's fine, I think. The girls ran us out of our new house last night so we stayed at a hotel. At first, she talked. A lot. I just listened to let her get it out of her system. She's been really high strung about preparing for this surgery. I think she was feeling a bit guilty with the relief that came with the surgery not going through."

Diane took a sip of wine. "You could have told me earlier, you know."

"It wasn't my place to tell Diane. I messed up once in regards to Lee – big time. I wasn't about to repeat that. She's also dealing with her emotions overall about Lee. Did he tell you why he refused surgery?" Diane nodded her head. "What he said really messed with Alex's head. You know how long she's set her mind to disliking the man." Piper got up to check the stew.

"Anyway she's going to be okay. She had to go to pre-donation counseling to ensure she was ready. I think she's going back for one more session to work through any lingering problems."

"Alex is strong. She always makes it."

* * *

Unpacking at the new house was coming along more quickly than expected. Perhaps it had something to do with an extra set of hands or perhaps that Alex was there to keep everyone on track. Alex heard snickering coming from the master bedroom and decided to peek in to ensure everyone was still working.

As Alex turned the corner, Nicky jumped and stared like deer caught in headlights. Alex narrowed her eyes and stared at Nicky and made an attempt to see what Nicky was not-so-successfully trying to hide behind her back. Alex raced towards Nicky who got off to a slow start. Alex tackled her, throwing her onto the bed and reaching for what was behind Nicky's back.

After a bit of wrestling, Alex finally managed to pull out a slinky bit of silk lingerie. "Nicky! What the fuck? Are you creeping through our underwear?" Alex tossed the slip of clothing aside. "What's wrong with you?"

Nicky gulped before she responded. "No boss. No creeping here. I was just in my own headspace trying to unpack as many boxes as possible." Nicky motioned her head towards the last box she had opened. "I didn't realize boss."

"You didn't see the writing on the box with big red letters that says  **UNDERWEAR – STAY OUT! THAT MEANS YOU!** "

Nicky glanced at the box again and grinned. "Come on boss. Don't be mad. Those are some sexy thongs you got there."

"Nicky," Alex warned. "Don't make me punch you. Stay out of that box."

* * *

It wasn't long before Alex and Lee both had arrived and the stew was ready. Because of how good it smelled, everyone was eager to dig in immediately. Piper grinned to herself as she ladled a serving in each bowl and served it with a huge chunk of bread.

As the family began to eat, each person had a different reaction to the stew. Alex was the first with the gumption to speak. "This is really good Piper. But you know… the texture of the meat. It's different… What is this?"

Piper snickered as she looked around to her family as they waited for the answer. "It's Beef-Kidney Stew." She held her breath as the room went silent.

Suddenly from her left, Lee stomped his feet. He slapped his thigh as he let out a deep, loud guffaw. "Kidney stew?" Soon everyone around the table was cackling and howling in laughter. Tears flowed down Diane's face as she lost her breath. Once Lee was able to get his breathing under control, he was able to speak. "Well there is one thing for sure Piper. If you keep this cooking up, I will never refuse  _your_  kidneys!"


	25. Meow

Alex kicked the inside of the box, breaking the tape seal on the other side. She flipped the box over and pulled the tape off the cardboard. Alex folded the box at its creases and stacked it on the top of the rest of the broken down boxes. Dusting off her hands, Alex said, "Well I think that's the last of the boxes Pipes."

"What about your storage unit?" Piper wrapped her arms around her wife. "You had a lot shoved in there when you moved in with me."

"Yup. Those, too. The girls got those on move-in day. Consider us completely moved in!" Alex pulled Piper over to the couch and they both collapsed. "Did I mention how much I hate unpacking?"

Piper chuckled as she leaned over and nuzzled into Alex. "Yes, many times. At least your crew helped some. They actually helped a lot."

She kissed the top of Piper's head as she scoffed. "If you call what they did …  _help_ , yeah." Alex hadn't told her wife about Nicky's romp through their panties.

Piper looked around the living room. "You know, for two women who came from one bedroom flats, we did a pretty good job filling up this four-bedroom house." She rubbed her hands together gleefully. "We can't have empty rooms. That just won't do… This calls for some shopping!"

Alex rolled her eyes as she pulled Piper into her even tighter. "Shopping? That's all you Pipes. All you. In fact, why don't you make a day out of it and ask Polly to join you? You two haven't spent a lot of girl time together since this whole Popi business took off."

"Good thinking Alex. She'll be tickled." Piper ticked off the rooms she needed to shop for. "Third bedroom, office, and back yard. What other big ticket items?"

The dark haired woman gave a deep chuckle. "Isn't that enough? Here's my contribution." Alex reached into her back pocket, pulled out her wallet and extracted a credit card. "Consider that card your limit. But remember Pipes, whatever you buy we have to pay it off!"

* * *

Polly was in the upstairs office at Popi's working on the accounting for the previous week. Piper had been off work trying to get her house in order so Polly was on her own with the books. Hearing a faint noise, Polly stopped at cocked her head sideways. Soon she heard it again. It sounded like a small cat or kitten. Just a quiet "mew".

 _Surely a cat couldn't have gotten into our upstairs office._  Polly's mind was racing as she looked around for the source of the noise. Not finding anything nor hearing another sound, Polly buried herself in her work again.

Later, she heard it again. Slightly louder this time.  _Meow._  "What the fuck?" Polly thought she was hearing things. "Just what I need today, a damned cat stuck in the vents." She grumbled aloud at the thought of having to rescue an animal.

This went on for quite some time but the cat only called out periodically which was frustrating Polly because she couldn't pinpoint the noise. Exasperated and unable to work, Polly finally broke down and called Piper.

"Piper, yeah. How's the unpacking going? You guys are done? That's great!" She paused as Piper rattled for a bit. "I'd love to go shopping with you tomorrow. Anything to get away from the office for a while. Hey, since you are done unpacking, could I borrow Alex for a bit this afternoon?" Pause. "I think there is a kitten or cat trapped somewhere maybe in the vents or the attic. It's been crying all day. It's driving me insane. I am afraid of heights and can't crawl up there to check." Pause. "Thanks Piper."

* * *

When she stopped by Popi's, Alex stopped downstairs to say hi to her mom before heading upstairs. She knocked on the office door. "I am told you have a feline problem?" Alex didn't bother hiding the smirk on her face.

"That's not funny Alex. It can't get out. I don't want the poor thing to die up there."

"Let me see what I can do," Alex chuckled. Waiting a bit, sure enough the tiny sound came again.  _Meow_.

Alex retrieved a ladder from the storeroom and dragged it over to the air conditioning vent shaft access door. Releasing the clips, the door swung open. She peered down the shaft with a flashlight and burst out laughing. She reached down into the vent and brought out a black, rectangular object, closed the vent shaft and climbed down the ladder. "I don't think a cat is stuck."

About that time, a faint "meow" emitted from the walkie talkie radio Alex held in her hand. She handed the receiver to Polly. "Here's your stuck cat." Polly's surprised look soon turned to disgust as she took the radio and cranked the volume knob to off. "I hate to say you've been punked." Alex reached for the radio.

Alex narrowed her eyebrows as Polly held it out of her reach. "That's my walkie. From my bar."

"I want to borrow it just for the day. I want to bust that bushy haired pip squeak." Polly tossed the radio on her desk. "If you go over there, don't you  _dare_  warn her."

"How about I just don't go over there? They aren't expecting me anyhow. Hey, did Piper talk to you about shopping for the house yet?"

"Yup, it's tomorrow. Is your credit card ready?"

* * *

The brunette headed back downstairs to visit with her mom a bit more. "How's Lee doing?" Alex was genuinely concerned now that she knew how sick he truly was and that he refused her help. "More importantly, how are you?"

As she sat on the stool behind the register, Diane placed her head on her hands. "He  _says_  he's fine. But he's really weak. I do have to say that his spirits have been a lot lighter since we returned from the hospital. I can't thank you enough for be willing to put yourself out there for him. So as long as he's surviving, I will be okay."

Alex walked around the store a bit, admiring the displays. "It really looks good in here Mom. How's business been shaping up?" Alex pumped a bit of the vanilla lotion into her palm and rubbed it in well.

"Quite well here in the store and online business is brisk. We are starting to have problems keeping up with production. I believe Polly and Piper are going to start looking into a commercial facility." Alex nodded her head with an impressed look on her face.

They visited a bit longer. "Oh Alex, before you leave. About Lee. There's one more thing."

* * *

Polly turned the radio knob back on and laid it on her desk. Now that the culprit had been identified, the situation was humorous. Cranking it off once more, she slipped the black radio into her jacket pocket and headed across the street.

When she walked through Alley's door, Taystee and Poussey started chuckling. "Hey, want a drink?" Polly raised a finger to her lips, quieting the query for food or drink. Pulling the radio from her pocket, she pointed and mouthed, "where is she?"

Poussey motioned towards Alex's office in the rear of the building. Before she got close to the door, Polly switched the radio on one last time. She quietly walked to the door and peered in to see Nicky with her back to the door, feet propped up on the desk. She giggled as she raised a similar device, keyed the device, and whispered a low  _meow_.

Nicky about fell out of her chair as she heard the cat noise coming from behind her. She quickly put her feet down and spun around in the chair. Seeing Polly standing there had her tongue tied. It was now Polly's turn to chuckle as she tossed the radio on Alex's desk.

"I brought your cat back." With that, she turned on her heel and left.

Nicky ran her fingers through her bushy hair. "Fuck me."

* * *

As she pulled up to the address her mother had given her the day before, Alex set in front of the studio for a few minutes. She took a deep breath, steeling herself as she readied herself to face what she was going into. She opened up the trunk of her car, retrieved her guitar case, and walked towards the building.

The crisp, tight sounds of a fast attack on a set of drums escaped the room. Occasionally a lower ring of a warm cymbal brought in a change of pace. With her guitar case leaned up against the door, Alex stood at the door, watching Lee bang the drum set with his eyes closed, deeply entranced in the music. She nodded her head to the beats then picked up her guitar.

As Lee settled into a faint rhythmic pattern, Alex selected a set of chords that coincided well with the drum. She watched her finger placement and strumming motions as she walked towards Lee on the drums. Alex looked up in time to see Lee's eyes pop opened and a broad grin spread across his face as he realized his daughter had joined his impromptu jam session. He sped up his beats and she matched his tempo. They slid into a cycle of allowing each to do a random riff then the other answer in cadence.

After going on quite some time, Lee held up his sticks calling for a pause. He then settled into a grove around 120 – 160 beats per minute. He kept the pocket with tasteful fills and a nice backbeat with the splash of hi-hats. Alex arched her eyebrow as she hitched up her guitar and swung into a melody quite familiar to herself. After a few passes, Lee ended with a quick wash of his cymbals.

Alex settled onto a stool next to the drum set. "How did you know that grove Lee?" Her voice was wary as she narrowed her eyebrows wondering if he'd tell the truth.

"Diane let me listen to some of your old tapes. Your strain against that beat is beautiful. You're pretty talented Alex."

"Hmmm she let you listen to my tapes?" The pause made Lee slightly uncomfortable as if he were a child being caught shaking gifts under the Christmas tree. "Cool.'

Lee's let out a breath of relief as he realized that his daughter was not angry at him… or her mother. "How did you find me here Alex? Not that I'm complaining…"

"Mom told me she had gotten you some time in a small space that some of her friends use for their band to practice in and that the drummer agreed to let you use his set. I thought I might drop in. That okay?"

Lee looked at his daughter. "Why wouldn't that be okay Alex? Regardless of how you feel about me, you are my daughter. I want you in my life."

After pondering this for a big, Alex looked at Lee. "Okay. Thanks for the jam." With that, she put her guitar back in its case and left.

* * *

Alex drove up to her and Piper's new house at the same time as her wife and Polly. Retrieving her guitar case from the back, she made it up the steps and unlocked the door while the two shoppers loaded up with bags of smaller accessories they had bought.

Polly unloaded her goodies in the front living room. Piper had gone in search of her wife, so Polly shouted out. "I can get the rest in one last trip Piper!"

Alex pulled out a bottle of wine for the girls and a beer for herself. As she uncorked the wine to allow it to breath, Piper found her in the kitchen and wrapped her arms around her spouse's neck and kissed her on the cheek softly. "What's in the case babe?"

Looking down at the case, Alex piped up, "a bazooka. What does it look like ding dong? A guitar."

"Oh, you play?" Alex nodded her head as she drained half her beer. With that, Piper realized that right now probably wasn't the best time to ask questions.

Piper invited Polly to stay for dinner but she decided that she needed to get home to Pete. So to make things simple, Piper ordered a pizza then snuggled up to Alex on the couch. Piper had taken pictures of every single purchase, so regardless of Alex wanting to go shopping or not, she was treated to the experience. At least she was spared the decisions.


	26. Prank War Over and Merry Christmas

"Amanda, why I say, Amanda! Pour this pair another shot!" Poussey slid two bottles of tequila down to Taystee.

Taystee spun the bottles around her head and her shoulders then poured two double measures into each glass. "Mackensie, consider the task down. She slid one shot glass in front of Nicky and another in front of Polly. "Drink up chickies."

"Boss is going to be pissed I'm drinking on the job. I'm going to blame it on you." Nicky motioned her shot glass towards Poussey and Taystee as she and Polly both licked the salt off the rim of their glasses, downed the shot, and grabbed a lime to enhance the raw, burning taste of the drink. "Damn, at least give me the good stuff."

"Come on you pussy." Polly swayed a little on her stool. "Give me another." She motioned to Taystee. "Pour it Amanda!" Pete and Larry were hooting up a storm watching mild Polly getting involved in a drinking contest with the crazy haired bartender.

This contest continued quite some time and, despite her cast iron stomach, Nicky was having trouble steadying herself. She shook her head in an attempt to clear the fog. She looked up at Polly about to call a truce in the drinking game. However, Polly wasn't looking quite as intoxicated as she should have been at this point in the game.

Before she knew it, Polly had fisted Nicky's shirt in her hands and pulled her over the bar. Polly pressed her mouth against Nicky's and kissed her full on the mouth.

"Amanda why look at those women going at it over there."

"Oh my lord Mackenzie, I see that. My, my, my what is this bar coming to? Shame it is."

Nicky raised her hands to grab Polly's shoulders about the same time that Polly released her and pushed her back. Polly grabbed the tequila bottle Taystee had been pouring her shots out of and turned it upside down, draining it without even a grimace. "Good water ladies. Thanks for the fun." The bar regulars were rolling laughing as they knew that Nicky had been played.

Polly walked over to where Pete and Larry sat against the wall and held out her hand. "Pay up boys." They both rolled their eyes as they each slapped a crisp $100 bill into her hand. She turned back around and winked at a stunned Nicky. "Consider this the end of the prank war. I win." With this, Polly left with the spoils of her bet.

Poussey and Taystee high-fived each other as Polly exited the bar. They hooted and hollered their jeers at their friend while Nicky buried her head in her hands. "I'm going to kill you guys. I thought you were my friends!"

Taystee waltzed up to a drunk Nicky. "Seriously Nichols? We've been waiting for years for someone to put your horny ass in check."

* * *

Piper had her feet propped up on Alex's legs. "I can't believe Christmas is so  _soon_  baby. I haven't even gotten to go shopping yet."

The dark haired bar owner scoffed. "What do you mean you haven't gone shopping yet?" She motioned around the room and house. "You and Polly shopped for two frigging days. There's shit everywhere."

"But that's not  _Christmas_  Al." Piper batted her eyes at her wife as she whined. "That's playing house." Her whine turned into a giggle. "What do you want Santa to bring you this year?" Piper shifted her legs and sat up where she was straddling Alex's lap, hovering over her.

Alex grabbed Piper's ass and pulled her closer. "Careful what you are asking me Pipes, especially crawling on top of me like that."

"Seriously, what do you want for Christmas? You are so hard to buy for."

"How about a puppy?" Piper leaned forward and hid her eyes in Alex's shoulder.

"No pets Pipes."

"Then a baby?" She grinned as she knew what the reaction would be.

"Piper! Absolutely not. I run a bar for Christ's sake. That is not an environment in which to raise a child."

"Then a puppy it is." Piper announced as she giggled, placed a kiss on Alex's nose and went off to decorate the house.

* * *

Popi's storefront was booming and the upstairs production rooms were having trouble keeping up with demand from online, in store, and standing orders. Polly and Piper had moved to three production shifts in attempts to keep up but were finding it difficult to maintain quality control with the varied employees coming through their doors.

Piper had run the numbers which proved that moving to a production facility was cost effective. Polly had been researching facilities which would allow for larger of batches of soaps to be cooked. Complete automation would never be desired as Popi soap, lotion, and candles were to remain hand-crafted artisanal products.

Materials would continue to be hand mixed. Molds would be poured by machine, but soaps would be hand released and hand packed. Polly and Piper determined these factors would be enough to allow them to keep the label of "hand crafted".

Piper's head was buried in paperwork in her office when Polly came in and threw herself into the chair across Piper's desk. She had a sheepish grin stretching across her face. "Well don't you look like the cat who ate the canary Pol? What's up?"

Polly burst out laughing. Once she was able to calm her mirth, she told Piper about the final hurrah prank on Nicky. "… and then I kissed her. A real kiss, right on the mouth!"

"No Polly! No you didn't!"

"Piper you should have seen her face when I kissed her. It was priceless."

"What did she do after that?"

"I don't know. I didn't hang around. I collected my money from Larry and Pete and left. But Taystee and Poussey's hoots and hollers were echoing around the bar when the door closed behind me. Hopefully that closes this chapter of the proverbial prank war."

"Well Pollly while you've been getting your jollies, I've been finishing the numbers and your research. We have appointments at two facilities that have made the final cut. So grab your purse and let's go see what we can  fsdo to expand our business."

* * *

Crumpled wrapping paper and ribbons were strewn everywhere. Piper's exuberance for the holiday showed in the mess she had made opening presents. "Alex, this has been a perfect Christmas. Thanks for everything." Piper tucked her legs beneath her as she leaned against her wife.

Alex wrapped her arm around the blonde and pulled her close. She pulled them both over slightly as she reached down beside the couch and retrieved a medium to large sized semi-flat package and handed it to Piper.

"What's this Al?"

"What does it look like? One last present babe."

"But you got me too much already Al. No you can't keep giving me presents."

Alex peered down her nose over her glasses and arched her eyebrow as she held out the package while waiting for Piper to take it from her hand. "Now Piper I was there when you talked to Santa. I  _know_  he didn't bring you everything on your list."

Piper's confused look turned hopeful. "Seriously Alex, that's not funny." She took the package and tamped the smile trying to escape her face. She ripped off the paper from both sides of the box and confusion crept back to her face. "Al?"

Alex grinned as she took the box from Piper and held it up for her to see.

"What is this Al?" The dark haired woman motioned to the box for Piper to read. "A dog door? Ummm Is this what's in the box? Why on earth did you give me a dog door?" Silence grew between the couple as Alex gave Piper time to figure out her last gift.

The moment that happened was evident when Piper let out a heralded giggle and loud squeal. "Oh my god Alex! Did you get me a puppy?"

Alex grinned. "No, just a damned doggie door. You have to pick your own puppy. Merry Christmas Pipes."


	27. Epilogue

Alex hitched up the tool belt slung low against her hips as she made her way off the floor in the laundry room. "Pipes!" The installation of that damned dog door had taken forever, and she wanted Piper to ooh and aww over the fruits of her labor. "Piper! Would you please come in here a minute?"

Soon the blonde was by her wife's side, arms wrapped around her. "Looks good babe. You are such a handywoman. I knew I kept you around for a reason." She reached up and nipped Alex's earlobe with her teeth, whispering in her ear. "And you look so sexy in a tool belt."

Alex turned with a Cheshire cat grin plastered on her face. "Sexy, eh?" She ran her hands up Piper's sides and beneath her shirt to touch her bare skin. Nipping at the blonde's lips, Alex leaned in for a long, soft kiss. "You can show me just how sexy later."

Piper returned the smile and grabbed the broom to sweep up the wood shavings mess the installation had left behind. "What I don't understand is why you got that type of door. I told you I wanted a small dog. So why have double flaps, a small one cut out of a big one? It looks weird."

Alex leaned against the dryer and watched as her wife cleaned up the mess. Running her fingers through her silky black hair, she pushed her glasses up to the top of her head. "Well it's complicated."

Piper stored the broom and dustpan. "Complicated? What do you mean?"

The mischievous smile returned to Alex's face as she reached for Piper's hand to pull her to the dining room table. "After New Year's, what would you think about a road trip to San Antonio?"

Piper was confused. "Texas? Like the Remember the Alamo, San Antonio?" Alex nodded. "That's a long road trip Al. Can't we just fly?"

"Nope." Alex was getting excited and pulled Piper in for a kiss. "We are getting you a puppy, right?" Piper beamed and nodded. "So dogs are pack animals. It's not fair to have just one. And I was thinking…." Alex drew out her conversation. "What if we got an older dog, a rescue of sorts, to show the pup the ropes? You know, the old teaching the new sort of thing."

Her shocked look showed that Piper had not made this consideration. "So you've been given me a hard time about a puppy when all along, you've been wanting an older dog."

Alex nodded sheepishly. "I, uhhhhh, filled out an application and got us approved. We have to drive to San Antonio to pick out a dog and bring it home is all. Best of all, it's free, except the trip, of course."

Piper had a feeling that there was more to the story that Alex wasn't sharing. "Alex, come clean. What aren't you telling me. There are rescue agencies closer to home and they  _all_  have fees to recoup their costs of rehoming dogs."

"Not this one, the Transportation Security Administration – you know the TSA people that feel you up when you go through security at the airport – have a program to rehome dogs who fail out of explosives training. The training facility is in San Antonio thus the road trip." The tables were turned as Alex now looked at Piper with pleading eyes. "They have kennels full of Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, and Belgian Malinois. I've always wanted a Belgian ever since I saw one at school when the K-9 police came for careers day once."

"You want a drug dog?"

"No I want a drug dog flunkie," Alex corrected. "This one lady said the dog she adopted got all the way to the final exams but her dog failed proper airport restaurant behavior. Luckily we won't be taking our dogs out to eat. Come on Pipes wouldn't this be cool?" Alex clasped her hands in front of her and pleaded with big eyes.

Piper burst out laughing. "Well I suppose since we already have the door for it, sure. Let's go to San Antonio next week and get a dog. But we have to get my puppy first. They have to get along, deal?"

"Deal!"

* * *

Piper stood with her back facing her wife, lifting up her hair. Alex clasped her necklace on and kissed the nape of her wife's neck then her shoulder. She looked Piper up and down at Piper's simple black dress that hung to right above her knees. "You look great Pipes. I'm not quite sure why we are dressing up for a night at Alley's, but I'm just doing as told."

Piper turned to give Alex a thank you kiss. "It's New Year's Eve Al. Tonight you aren't the owner of the bar, you are customer." She smiled as she saw what Alex had selected to wear. "Aren't you wearing that new green dress I got you for Christmas?"

"Not on your life. My employees would never let me hear the end of it. Besides I may end up bar backing some or bussing a few tables. This is easier." Alex straightened her bow tie. "Is that your way of saying I don't look dashing?" She arched an eyebrow as she questioned her lover.

Piper licked her lips as she examined Alex in her form fitting tuxedo shirt and tailored slacks. "Ummm no, you look just fine babe."

"That's what I thought." Alex kissed Piper softly on the nose. "Ready?"

"If you are waiting on me, then you are going backwards."

* * *

Alex and Piper slid into the reserved table positioned in the center of the bar. Piper picked up the name tags at each place. "Fancy Al."

Alex chortled with her response. "There is a method to my madness. My three girls are on that side of the table so they can get our drinks all night!" She made a fake frown. "We are stuck behind the table."

"Good thinking boss lady."

Most of the tables in the bar were reserved for New Year's Eve. Since this was a night where people were almost certain to stay until past midnight, she limited standing room only space. Alex didn't like for people to be uncomfortable and just milling around. Her crew had done a great job with the decorations, balloons, party hats, and various noise makers. Around 11:45, the bar-backs would go around to deliver each table a bottle of champagne for the midnight toast. A buffet was set up across the back wall which included mini-sliders, fries as well as the traditional New Year's black eyed peas, cabbage, and collard greens. While alcohol sales stopped at 2 am, the bar would stay open until all the patrons had left. Alex figured the longer she could get people to stay, the safer they would be going home.

Polly and Pete were the next to arrive. Polly slid in next to Piper while Pete slipped in beside his girlfriend. Right behind them were Diane and Lee who sat by Alex. Because the bar was still slow Alex motioned for one of the bartenders to come and collect drink orders. She also ordered three beers for her three musketeer bartenders, who had been given the night off as a reward for their seniority. Nicky, Poussey, and Taystee would be arriving shortly. Sure enough, as soon as the drinks were delivered, the bartenders showed up.

"Let's get this party started!" Taystee shouted at the top of her lungs as soon as she could get to her beer. She drained half her beer and turned the short distance to the bar. "Shots all around here except for mama and papa. They are on soda duty." She motioned over her shoulder to Lee and Diane.

Alex leaned over her mom and said, "Lee is it going to bother you if we drink in front of you?"

Her father laughed. "Of course not. It's not like you are sticking a needle in your arm. I can be around booze. Besides it gets humorous to people watch once everyone gets a few drinks in them."

As Alex sat back up, Diane put a warm hand on her forearm and mouthed a quick "thank you" to her daughter.

As the bar filled up, the noise level grew exponentially. Alex had left some space in front of the buffet to serve as a makeshift dance floor. The dance floor was getting a ton of business as it seemed as though everyone was dancing with everyone as the night drew closer and closer to midnight.

* * *

At one point, all in their party were actually at the table at the same time. Piper had collapsed exhaustedly into Alex. "I can't move anymore. Can we all hang out a bit?" Everyone nodded as they took a moment to drink water for a change and catch their breath.

Diane looked around at the group and said, "I really appreciate you ladies letting Lee and I join you tonight. It's no fun being all fuddy duddies alone."

Nicky was the first to pipe up. "Mama D, there is no way we would celebrate without you. I don't know about the rest of these fools, but I know  **I** personally appreciate you bringing Alex into this world and letting her live long enough to create this space for us!" A collective aww went around the table.

There was a bit of shuffling going on between Taystee and Poussey. Then a drunken southern slur erupted. "Why Mackenzie, I do believe Nicky was talking about what she is appreciative of."

"Of course Amanda, our good friend Nicky has so much to be thankful for." Nicky crossed her arms and settled back to take the abuse she knew was about to come her way. "She found her cousin-twin, fell in lust with her cousin-twin's girlfriend, and Amanda didn't she kiss her boss's wife's best friend?" Nicky and Polly both turned a beet red

"Why Mackenzie, I believe she did. Or did the girl kiss her? You know, maybe someday our Nicky friend will learn to stop with the jokes." Poussey and Taystee both high-fived each other.

Piper looked at Polly. "Seriously? Seriously you kissed Nicky?"

Polly shrugged. "Best way I could think of to end that damned prank war." Everyone around the table burst out laughing. "Plus I got $200 out of it! From Pete and his friend Larry."

She turned to look at Pete. "Pete what are you thankful of for this past year?"

He leered at his girlfriend. "The lasting memory of you kissing a woman, well worth the money I shelled out."

Polly shoved him in the chest as she laughed. "Pervert. Well it's my turn, what am I most thankful for? I have a few things – one the successful opening of Popi's storefront which lead to a sharp increase in sales. Oh and did I mention that we signed a contract on the new production facility?" Everyone cheered and congratulated Piper and Polly on their success in their business venture as well as the opening of a new chapter with the start of the new year. "And Anna Kendrick." Nicky frowned.

Piper took a few moments to decide what she wanted to say. "I am thankful for all of the new friends I have met this year. But I'm most thankful for my marriage and my new wife. My life wouldn't be anything without Alex." Alex squeezed Piper into her as she kissed the top of her head.

"Oh 2016 was a year of ups and down. I, too, and thankful to my new wife. I'm also thankful to the Food Network Channel who single handedly ruined my business then rebuilt my dreams." Everyone held up their glasses/bottles and cheered to that. "I'm also thankful to the TSA."

"The what? Did you get felt up by some hot chick last time you flew." Nicky spouted off. "The TSA is shit." Nicky stopped when she saw Piper giggling.

All eyes moved to Piper for an explanation. "Alex is going to get a TSA bomb dog drop out. Leave it to her to bring in the scraggly ones!" After a bit of ribbing on Alex about her choice in dogs, everyone quieted down for Diane to talk.

Diane wiped the corners of her eyes before she spoke. "I have so much to be thankful for this year. I have a wonderful new daughter-in-law who completes my daughter and makes her happy beyond belief. I've been given a new job which allows me to use my talents and doesn't keep me down. And the father of my child has come back into my life." She raised her hand which had Lee's clasped in it and kissed his fingers.

Lee did not speak. Alex spoke up in encouragement. "Lee it's your turn. You are a part of this, too."

"When this year started I had no idea all of the things I would have to be thankful for by the time the year rolled out. I was able to locate my daughter and her mother. Even though I probably don't deserve it, they have somehow given me a chance to get to know them. This has given me the strength to stay sober to the point of being able to serve as a sponsor to another addicted person. Giving back to my NA/AA community is a huge part of my life and I want to do so as long as my body allows me."

Lee paused as he looked around at the audience of his daughter's friends sitting around the table. The bar was gearing up for the countdown to midnight. The volume level had definitely increased ten-fold. It was apparent that Lee had more to say but seemed to be struggling with the words.

Finally, Diane just blurted out. "We're getting married!" Everyone's mouth dropped open as Alex's mother thrust her left hand into the center of the table to show off her engagement ring.

Then the nobody could speak as the entire bar erupted. "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, Happy New Year!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The TSA dog adoption is a real deal. They have flunkies and retired dogs available. Just google it.


End file.
